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Most people are aware that the deadline for submitting an Income Tax return for the year ended 5th April 2008 is 31st January 2009 – a bit over three weeks away – or you get a £100 fine.
Well it looks as though those smart fraudsters have got in on the act and are using this to con you as well.
As you know, you can submit your Tax return online these days. It seems that fraudsters are sending out “spam” e-mails reminding people that their return is due and providing a link for them to click on. This will take you to a fake website – but one that pretty much looks and feels exactly like the real one operated by HMRC.
Once there, the unsuspecting victim is asked to provide all the usual details (bank account, credit card numbers, PINs etc etc) before being re-directed to the real HMRC site to continue the online Tax return process.
The first they know of the fraud is when they discover that their bank account / credit cards have been plundered.
So if you file your Tax return online, DO NOT follow any links sent to you by e-mail. HMRC NEVER contacts individual taxpayers this way.
If you want to see news and helpful tips about completing your online Tax return, here is a linky:
http://nds.coi.gov.uk/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=183566&NewsAreaID=2If you already have an online account (or if you need one) to access the HMRC website, here is the linky:
http://www.gateway.gov.uk/Default.aspxHaving posted this news yesterday morning – I picked it up from a private anti-fraud network I belong to – look what “The Government” has released today…..
@Government Press Release wrote:
Fraudsters are trying to trick the public into handing over personal financial details in the run-up to the annual tax self-assessment deadline, the government warned on Thursday.
Bogus emails, purporting to be from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), attempt to trick people into giving out their bank details or other private information on the pretext that they will receive a fictitious tax refund.
The authorities also warned that some people had been telephoned by fraudsters posing as tax officials trying to elicit details by claiming to arrange rebate payments.
“This is the most sophisticated and prolific phishing scam that we have encountered,” said Lesley Strathie, HMRC Chief Executive.
“We only ever contact customers who are due a refund in writing by post. We never use emails, telephone calls or external companies in these circumstances.”
She urged anyone who received such an email to send it to HMRC for further investigation.
Officials warned there could be further attempts to con taxpayers after the January 31 deadline has passed when many people were waiting to hear about genuine refunds.
It warned that customers who gave their details to the fraudsters could see their bank accounts emptied and huge bills run up on their credit cards.
Just remember – you heard it first on here folks !!!
@forumhostpb wrote:
Having posted this news yesterday morning – I picked it up from a private anti-fraud network I belong to – look what “The Government” has released today…..
@Government Press Release wrote:
Fraudsters are trying to trick the public into handing over personal financial details in the run-up to the annual tax self-assessment deadline, the government warned on Thursday.
Bogus emails, purporting to be from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), attempt to trick people into giving out their bank details or other private information on the pretext that they will receive a fictitious tax refund.
The authorities also warned that some people had been telephoned by fraudsters posing as tax officials trying to elicit details by claiming to arrange rebate payments.
“This is the most sophisticated and prolific phishing scam that we have encountered,” said Lesley Strathie, HMRC Chief Executive.
“We only ever contact customers who are due a refund in writing by post. We never use emails, telephone calls or external companies in these circumstances.”
She urged anyone who received such an email to send it to HMRC for further investigation.
Officials warned there could be further attempts to con taxpayers after the January 31 deadline has passed when many people were waiting to hear about genuine refunds.
It warned that customers who gave their details to the fraudsters could see their bank accounts emptied and huge bills run up on their credit cards.
Just remember – you heard it first on here folks !!!
Aye!! and as we know we can believe everything we hear on here :roll: :D
But you can Reason …. you can !!!
BTW: I don’t want to be thought unnecessarily pedantic …. but you can’t “hear” things on here, you can only read them.
@forumhostpb wrote:
But you can Reason …. you can !!!
BTW: I don’t want to be thought unnecessarily pedantic …. but you can’t “hear” things on here, you can only read them.
Me thinks pedantic is exactly what you are being PB,i wonder if that is classed as a criticism of staff :-k .
I might as well try saying it on here because when i pm’d you and UK about one of my posts getting removed for no reason,i got no answer,so much for going through the official channels.
I replied to some Irish fraudsters and got a rebate :lol:
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