Warning Over Tax Rebate Emails
06 March 2013
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has warned taxpayers not to respond to ‘phishing’ emails regarding tax rebates.
Almost 80,000 bogus emails were reported last year and there is usually an increase in such fraudulent activity following the closure of the 31 January self assessment deadline.The emails, which are set up to look as though they are sent by HMRC, ask the recipient to confirm their personal, credit card or bank account details in order to process a tax refund. HMRC has stressed that it would never contact customers via email regarding a genuine tax rebate.
Gareth Lloyd of HMRC said, ‘If anyone receives an email offering a tax rebate and claiming to be from HMRC, please send it to mailto:phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk before deleting it permanently’.
Further advice about online security, including some examples of phishing emails and how to identify them, is available on the following link: www.hmrc.gov.uk/security/index.htm.