Ahead of the 31 January self-assessment deadline, HMRC has issued a warning about the latest tax scam targeting those completing their tax returns by sending fake emails that promise the recipient a tax refund.
The email, which purports to be from “HMRC Office Gateway”, tells people to click on a link which takes them to a “customer portal”. They are then asked to provide their banking details in order for the refund to be explained.
HMRC has once again confirmed that it will never send information about tax refunds or rebates via email. Nor will it ask for information pertaining to your remuneration sum.
A spokesperson for HMRC told the Sun Online it has, just recently, ordered 150 scam related websites to be taken down: “In the run up to the self-assessment taxation deadline of 31 Jan criminals ramp up their efforts to slice off honest taxpayers.
“If you accept a content or email claiming to be from HMRC observant you are due a taxation reinstate and asking for information such as credit label or bank sum then it’s a scam.
“HMRC gets feign web-sites taken down and we work with other law coercion agencies to brand the criminals behinds these scams.”
You can report such emails to phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk. For more information about how to report fraud and cyber crime, visit Action Fraud.
If you have any concerns regarding your tax return or other related matters, our experts at Beavis Morgan are available to assist. We take the hassle of dealing with HMRC away from you, so you don’t need to deal directly with them. We are also able to advise on all aspects of tax whether compliance or planning.
Contact your usual Beavis Morgan Partner for further information and assistance.