HMRC warns of increased Self-Assessment Scams

HMRC warns of increased Self-Assessment Scams

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has issued a warning to Self-Assessment customers to be vigilant against scammers who are targeting them to steal money or personal information. In the last year, more than 570,000 scams were reported to HMRC, with nearly 220,000 of them offering bogus tax rebates. Scammers use phone calls, texts, and emails to dupe citizens and often mimic government messages to make them appear authentic.

At this time of year, Self-Assessment customers are at increased risk of falling victim to scams, even if they don’t mention Self-Assessment. They can be taken in by scam texts, emails, or calls either offering a ‘refund’ or demanding unpaid tax, thinking that they are genuine HMRC communications referring to their Self-Assessment return.

If someone contacts you claiming to be from HMRC and asks you to transfer money or give personal information, be on your guard. Never let yourself be rushed, and if you’re in any doubt then check the ‘HMRC scams’ advice on GOV.UK.

Customers can report suspicious phone calls using a form on GOV.UK. Customers can also forward suspicious emails claiming to be from HMRC to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 605991.

HMRC has a dedicated team working on cyber and phone crimes. They use innovative technologies to prevent misleading and malicious communications from ever reaching the customer. Since 2017, these technical controls have prevented 500 million emails from reaching HMRC’s customers.

Stay safe and informed!

Please contact Laurence, Andrea or me for Tax or Accounting advice – we are here to help you (financially) through this crisis. We will always look at ways to save you tax. We can deal with you remotely and still meet all your requirements. Regards Gerry O’Boyle 028 91 469054 or gerry@oboyleaccounting.com