83,000 scam emails reported to HMRC in September
HMRC reports record levels of scam email complaints
September has seen HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) receive 83,000 complaints
about scam emails which purport to offer tax refunds, in a near unprecedented
phishing attack.
HMRC said it received 10,000 complaints in a single day during last month
prompting a warning for taxpayers to be on their guard.
The emails ask for bank account or credit card details, with the information
potentially being used to infiltrate private accounts or being passed on to
criminal gangs.
John Harrison, head of HMRC customer contact online, said anyone receiving a
suspicious email should not open it.
“We only contact customers who are due a refund in writing by post. We never
use emails, telephone calls or external companies in these circumstances,” he
said.
“I would strongly encourage anyone receiving such an email not to open it,
send it to us for investigation at [email protected] and then delete it
from their computer.”
Read the full HMRC
statement:Record
number of tax refund scam emails reported