Tax Scam Alert

Hi Everyone

 I just thought I would let you know of another scam that seems to be going round at the moment, for which I have been targeted personally!

 On checking my home emails recently, I found one purporting to be from HM Revenue & Customs, headed up “Pending Tax Refund”. The sender appears as “HMRC Tax Refund” although the recipient is just “to me” (which immediately set the alarm bells ringing).

 It is a very cleverly put together email as the text is presented as a letter from HMRC using the correct logo graphics and even the sea-green colouring that the Revenue do use.  In essence the message is that they have been trying to contact me about a refund  but have not yet received my claim and so invite me to follow the link they included to commence making the refund claim. It even goes on to give an official looking tax reference!

 Their error was in sending it to a Chartered Tax Adviser!! Fortunately, as I have worked daily in tax for more years than I care to remember, I was able to spot the inconsistences immediately, including that the reference quoted had more of the appearance of an IHT ref rather than one for Income Tax ( one shot in the foot!). I am also aware that HMRC do not send out details like this by email, and would never ask anyone to fill in a claim form on-line (other than the SA Tax Returns completed through the Revenue’s secure Gateway).

 I therefore have just rung HMRC to report the scam – which they confirmed it definitely is and thanked me for letting them know, and also reinforced that they do not communicate with tax payers by email with regards to Refunds.

 So ……………..watch out for anything in your own home or work inboxes! As nice as it would be to get money back from HMRC, sadly this isn’t genuine.

 Regards

 Dayton