There have been warnings issued by HMRC regarding tax scams that approach individuals through SMS and emails. At present, HMRC are processing real refunds for the previous year and the scam is intended to replicate this approach through messages claiming the taxpayer is entitled to a rebate. This subsequently leads to the request of personal account details in order to facilitate that rebate.
It is key to understand and to stress that HMRC will only ever inform individuals of a tax refund by post or through their employer – and that they will never provide this communication through email, SMS, or voicemail. It is advised not to access or click any links, downloads, or attachments from any suspect messages from HMRC.
In a recent comment on the issue, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Mel Stride, stated, “We know that criminals will try and use events like the end of the financial year, the self-assessment deadline, and the issuing of tax refunds to target the public and attempt to get them to reveal their personal data.”
If you are concerned that you might have been approached by a scammer, or if you would just like more information, contact us for the right advice.