Up until July, HMRC had received reports of 170,000 deceptive calls, texts, and messages either promising a tax refund or threatening legal consequences due to unpaid taxes.
Dealing with taxes can be perplexing, and a notice from HMRC about a mistake might not immediately cause concern. Some messages might be welcome, informing you of a tax overpayment and subsequent refund. Others, however, might warn that you owe taxes and face penalties or legal action if you do not respond swiftly.
Fraudsters exploit people’s anxiety about financial obligations to pilfer personal and banking details. Automated calls, and texts or emails usually instruct recipients to click on a link to either make a payment or claim a refund.
In the year leading up to 31 July, over 170,000 scam attempts were reported to HMRC, with more than 47,000 pertaining to fraudulent refunds. These scams are a constant threat but tend to spike around the self-assessment tax return deadlines.
HMRC advises that it never contacts taxpayers via these methods to request personal information or to issue refunds, nor does it leave voicemails about legal actions or arrests.
Recognizing the Scam
These fraudulent messages can be quite persuasive, often including the HMRC logo and official-looking details.
They urge quick action, creating a sense of urgency to provoke a hasty response.
Typically, there’s a link involved, and the site it leads to might appear legitimate. However, a closer inspection of the URL will show it does not belong to the official gov.uk domain.
Even caller ID might be manipulated to look as though HMRC is genuinely contacting you.
Steps to Take
If you suspect you might actually be due a refund, or if you’re concerned about underpayment, check directly through your tax account.
HMRC provides a list of topics it might contact taxpayers about, and the methods it would use. You can compare this information against any messages you receive to determine their authenticity.
Any suspicious messages should be reported to HMRC. You can forward suspect emails to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 60599.
Do not rely on caller ID. It’s safer to hang up and either call back using a number you trust or verify details through your online account.
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