Scams from fraudsters pretending to be from HMRC are now becoming more common. They can take the form of emails, text messages and telephone calls so you need to be vigilant at all times.
Recently one taxpayer received a text stating that their VAT return had not been filed and they owed a late filing penalty of £722. He was about to telephone the number on the text and give his debit card details, but decided to telephone HMRC first to enquire why the return had not been filed. This was a good decision! HMRC assured him that the VAT return had been filed and confirmed that they would not send such text messages.
Another taxpayer received a text saying that a tax refund was due and asking them to provide their bank details. This taxpayer also informed HMRC but there must be other people that do fall for the scams and either pay over money or provide bank details.
If you receive any suspicious text messages or emails HMRC ask that you forward them to phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk before deleting them as it will help their investigations.
As well as texts and emails, scam telephone calls requesting settlement of alleged tax debts referred to in our blog last October are still rife. http://ow.ly/sWy2308gJjt
What can be done? Always be vigilant and wary, both at work and on your home devices and always confirm who is contacting you. Never disclose your personal details unless you have verified the recipient is genuine, and keep a note of HMRC’s email address and telephone number. If your messages are from anywhere else delete the text or email or hang up the telephone!