Fraudsters pose as taxman to target victims and raid bank accounts – What to look for | Personal Finance | Finance
Britons have been warned to be wary of fraudsters who target individuals with bogus tax refund offers.
Scam messages appear to come from the HMRC and are generally in the form of texts, WhatsApps and emails.
The aim is to fool victims into linking to bogus websites or fake call centres and then hand over their personal and financial information that can be used to steal their identities and, potentially, raid bank accounts.
The criminals impersonating HMRC will send a text saying you’re due a tax refund, which might be for a relatively small amount.
However, the idea of getting some money back from the taxman can be enough to encourage victims to click on an attached link.
Once clicked on, this link connects you to a website or a so-called “call-handler”. The scam kicks in as they gradually extract your bank account details and passwords. Ultimately, instead of gaining a rebate, your account gets completely wiped out.
Other people have been called by scammers claiming to be from HMRC, stating: “We’re coming for you”.
The scam warns the victim to pay £500 in unpaid taxes, or they’ll be arrested within hours if they don’t settle up. They’ll demand payment in Amazon or Google Play vouchers.
The high pressure tactics mean people are known to have been conned before they can fully grasp what is happening.
Occasionally, these scammers even ‘spoof’ an HMRC number, making it appear legitimate. The lesson here is not to trust your Caller ID, as these fraudsters have found ways of mimicking the number to make it appear real when it’s anything but.
Beware of fraudulent emails that appear to be from HMRC, designed to trick individuals into divulging highly sensitive information. These deceptive emails are convincingly designed, complete with a link to a website that closely mimics an official HMRC page.
Other scams impersonating HMRC include phone call fraud. One such scam involves an automated message claiming that HMRC is filing a lawsuit against you for non-payment of tax, instructing you to “Press one to speak to a caseworker”.
However, pressing one connects you to a criminal armed with a convincing script. They will employ classic scam tactics, pressuring you to make an immediate payment to halt the supposed “lawsuit”, insisting it must be done immediately.
They will request your card details, possibly even your bank information and confirmation of your full address.
Once they have access to all this data, they possess the metaphorical ‘keys’ to your accounts, allowing them to swiftly empty them.
Further scams, masquerading as HMRC, include:
* WhatsApp messages – HMRC has made it clear that they will never use ‘WhatsApp’ to contact customers about a tax refund. If you receive any communication through ‘WhatsApp’ claiming to be from HMRC, it’s a scam.
* Social media scams – HMRC is aware of direct messages sent to customers via social media. These messages are not from genuine HMRC social media accounts and are a scam.
* Refund companies – HMRC has warned about companies that send emails or texts advertising their services to secure you a tax rebate or refund, usually for a fee. These companies have no connection with HMRC.
* HMRC customs duty scams – HMRC has reported a text and email scam where the customer is told they must pay customs duty to receive a valuable parcel which does not exist. This is an attempt by criminals to exploit changes introduced on 1 January 2021, advising that some UK consumers buying goods from EU businesses might need to pay customs charges when their goods are delivered.
If you receive a suspicious message claiming to be from HMRC and do not respond. Forward the message to HMRC at reportphishing@phishing.hmrc.
Also, visit the HMRC website for information on how to protect yourself from scams.
