25th July 2016 Posted by - Alexander Accountancy
We have received quite a few questions from clients who have received emails from HM Revenue & Customs which purported to show tax refunds due to them. All instances appeared to be apparent phishing scams where they are looking to obtain personal financial information.
Action Fraud, the national fraud and cyber-crime reporting agency, have issued warnings concerning email scams that have come to light in recent weeks. The Action Fraud team have received hundreds of reports from members of the public that they have been targeted by bogus emails from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs
These scams include official-looking emails that direct you to replica websites designed to steal your personal information – including your bank details.
The fake HMRC ‘tax return notification’ promises recipients money back if they click on the provided link. Users are then prompted to provide credit or debit card details. More than 150 people have raised the scam with Action Fraud.
HMRC will never use emails to tell you about a tax rebate or penalty. Nor will they ask for your personal information. If you are unsure about any email not being authentic then you should delete them and contact the relevant organisation direct, as suggested below.
https://www.gov.uk/report-suspicious-emails-websites-phishing
Check HMRC ‘s guidance on recognising scams if you’re not sure. Forward suspicious emails to phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk. Forward suspicious text messages to 60599.
