HMRC Tax Refund Emails – How to Identify a Fake
One of the Directors has recently received the attached email regarding a Tax Refund from HMRC – would you know it is a fake?
How can you tell the difference between a genuine email from HMRC and a fake?
- HMRC will never send you an email telling you that you are due a tax refund. If you get an email about a tax refund, it will not be from HMRC.
- In addition, HMRC will never ask for personal or payment information by email.
So if you get an email about a tax refund and it appears to be from HMRC, then it is going to be a fake. If you click on it, you risk it uploading a virus to your computer. Often, these are designed to steal your banking and other sensitive login details.
HMRC has collated some examples of fake refund emails, and you can download the HMRC guide to phishing and bogus emails from HMRC website.
What to do if you get a fake or phishing email
A spokesman for HMRC says: “We only ever contact customers who are due a tax refund in writing by post. We don’t use telephone calls, emails or external companies.
Anyone who receives an email claiming to be from HMRC should send it to phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk before deleting it permanently.
Contact us
For Tax advice please contact nigel.atkinson@hghyork.co.uk, robert.salenius@hghyork.co.uk or paul.morris@hghyork.co.uk or call 01904 655202.
