HMRC is urging taxpayers to be cautious of anyone approaching them either online or off, as they could be scammers. Tax-related scams have doubled since the start of the pandemic as the confusion of lockdowns, and support schemes gave scammers a real opportunity ...
If you've received an email, text message or even an automated phone message claiming to be from HMRC, then you could be targetted by scammers.
In the last year, HMRC has:
- Had over a million referrals from the public about potential scams
- Worked with Ofcom and other telecoms providers to ban nearly 2,500 telephone numbers scammers are using
- Received nearly half a million reports of phone scams
- Reported over 13,000 malicious websites for takedown
So, HMRC is on the case, but the scam reports keep rolling in.
To its credit, HMRC has published its own webpage to help taxpayers check out if a contact is genuine or not. HMRC has changed text numbers recently, but the page also explains how various other forms of contact will be made for various projects.
If you are unsure if the contact you have received from HMRC is genuine, do check the page, but under no circumstances, give a callers personal information such as your bank account, credit or debit card details to any caller.
And certainly don't click any links unless you're absolutely sure.
If you feel inspired to find out more about anything I've said here, do call me on 01908 774320 or leave a comment below and I'll be in touch as soon as I can.