HMRC targets VAT evasion with robots

The robot software, Connect, will be used to search the internet to find information about specific people and companies and will be able to track down hidden incomes such as bank interest and property income. The campaign against VAT rule-breakers will begin this summer and HMRC will consult informally on its anti-fraud operations before putting them into practice. Mike Wells, HMRC's director of risk and intelligence, said: "We want the views and experience of people and organisations outside the department to play a fuller part in the campaigns we design for customers. "We will u...