Online scammers target tax emails

Recipients receive an email to say they are due a tax rebate and provide a link to a clone of HMRC website where the recipient is asked to give their credit card or bank details.

Fraudsters then try to take money from the account using the details provided and victims could have their bank accounts emptied and their personal details sold on to other organised criminal gangs.

In the run-up to the self-assessment deadline, HMRC has helped to shut down 185 sites responsible for sending out the fake tax rebate emails.

It is thought the increase in phishing emails is due to the number of people reporting the scams through the department's online reporting facility.

Joan Wood, Director of HMRC Online and Digital said:

"We only ever contact customers who are due a tax refund in writing by post. We currently don't use telephone calls, emails or external companies in these circumstances.

"HMRC will do everything possible to ensure those people receiving this email know what steps to take to protect their information, and we are working closely with other law enforcement agencies to target the criminals behind this serious crime and see them brought to justice."

The scam email often begins with a sentence such as 'We have reviewed your tax return and our calculations of your last year's accounts a tax refund of XXXX is due'.

Legitimate tax rebate forms (P800s) from HMRC will contain a payment order and will never ask for credit or debit card details.

HMRC works with other law enforcement agencies in the UK and overseas to shut down scam networks. They have previously been found operating in Austria, Mexico, the UK, South Korea, the USA, Thailand and Japan.

Anyone who receives a suspicious email is advised not to click on any links in the mail, but to check the HMRC website to see if it is already listed. The email should be forward to HMRC on phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk and then deleted from the email account.