If you get some unexpected news that you’re owed a ‘refund’ from the Tax Office, it may seem like good news. But, remember that with the self-assessment deadline looming on January 31, fraudsters will be bombarding people’s email inboxes and phones with fake offers of tax refunds. They may also cold call victims, or text or email links which will then take them to a false page, where their bank details or money will be stolen.
Over the past year, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has received nearly 900,000 reports from people about suspect contact – including over 620,000 reports from people about bogus tax rebates.
Never give out your personal information or click on links or download information from unexpected emails. If someone calls you out of the blue and makes you feel under pressure, just put the phone down to give yourself time to think. Details of suspect calls or emails claiming to be from HMRC can be forwarded to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 60599.