In Steven Spielberg’s 2002 film Minority Report, the “pre-crime” police force hunted down underground criminals by unleashing tiny agile spider robots, which could tirelessly canvass any given area until they found the right identity match. HM Revenue & Customs, which administers and collects taxes in the UK, is pursuing a similar technology.

In an effort to clamp down on tax cheaters, which contribute to the £7 billion lost to the Treasury each year, the HMRC announced they will disseminate “web robots” into cyberspace, searching for targeted information about specified people and companies.

According to the HMRC, the web robot software can more accurately pinpoint people who have failed to register or pay the right tax, especially those . Specifically, personal trainers, teachers making extra cash from private lessons, and people selling or trading goods on the Internet—via eBay, for example—will be the primary targets of this crackdown.

“By being open about our areas of interest for the coming year, we hope to maximize that exchange of information and ensure we reduce the tax gap and help customers pay what they owe,” says Mike Wells, HMRC’s Director of Risk and Intelligence.

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