HMRC issues warning to 11.5 million UK households and says 'check'

HMRC issues warning to 11.5 million UK households and says ‘check’

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is warning people to be wary of bogus tax refund offers. Fraudsters could set their sights on Self Assessment customers, with more than 11.5 million submitting a tax return by last month’s deadline.

The phishing scams are designed to use personal details for selling on to criminals, or to access people’s bank accounts. HMRC responded to 207,800 referrals from the public of suspicious contact in the past year to January – up 14% from the 181,873 reported for the previous 12 months.

More than 79,000 of those referrals offered bogus tax rebates. Kelly Paterson, HMRC’s Chief Security Officer, said: “With the deadline for tax returns behind us, criminals will now try to trick people with fake offers of tax rebates.

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“Scammers will attempt to dupe people by email, phone or texts that mimic government messages to make them appear authentic. Don’t rush into anything, take your time and check HMRC scams advice on GOV.UK.”

HMRC will not email, text or phone a customer to tell them that they are due a refund or ask them to request a refund. Customers receive repayments into their chosen bank account, and can see any transactions in their online HMRC account and in the HMRC app.

In the last year to January HMRC also reported 26,443 malicious web pages to internet service providers to be taken down. This is a 29% increase from the 20,385 referred by HMRC for removal the previous year. These sites aim to deceive taxpayers and steal their personal information or money.

They copy the design and branding of genuine websites so criminals can trick people into giving away their personal details. This information is then used to access people’s bank accounts or sold on the web.

HMRC is reminding customers to be vigilant to any potential scam activity, protect their personal information and report any suspicious activity.