More fraudulent emails from “HMRC”
HMRC have issued a further warning to taxpayers on the increase in fraudulent emails being sent to taxpayers. In this latest news release, HMRC revealed that they received reports of over 83,000 fake emails in September alone. In one day alone over 10,000 scam emails were notified to HMRC.
The fraudulent emails tell taxpayers that they are due a tax refund and ask for bank or credit card details in order to repay the ‘tax refund’. HMRC stress that they only ever contact taxpayers due a refund in writing by post.
The fraudulent emails are being sent by organised criminal gangs from inside the UK and around the world. The latest fraudulent emails are being sent from various different websites, which operate for 20 minutes before changing their domain name.
HMRC provides the following advice to taxpayers who receive an email that appears to be fraudulent:
- Check the advice published at www.hmrc.gov.uk/security/index.htm to see if the email you have received is listed.
- Forward suspicious emails to HMRC at phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk and then delete it from your computer/mail account.
- Do not click on websites, links contained in suspicious emails or open attachments.
- Follow advice from www.getsafeonline.co.uk
- If you have reason to believe that you have been the victim of an email scam, report the matter to your bank/card issuer as soon as possible