Self Assessment customers are urged to be on the lookout for scam texts, emails and phone calls from fraudsters.
This warning comes as HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) received more than 130,000 reports about tax scams in the 12 months to September 2023, of which 58,000 were offering fake tax rebates.
With around 12 million people expected to submit a Self Assessment tax return for the 2022 to 2023 tax year before the 31 January 2024 deadline, fraudsters will prey on customers by impersonating HMRC.
The scams take different approaches. Some offer a rebate; others tell customers that they need to update their tax details or threaten immediate arrest for tax evasion.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “HMRC is reminding customers to be wary of approaches by fraudsters in the run up to the Self Assessment deadline. Criminals are great pretenders who try and dupe people by sending emails, phone calls and texts which mimic government messages to make them appear authentic.
“Unexpected contacts like these should set alarm bells ringing, so take your time and check HMRC scams advice on GOV.UK.”
Customers can report any suspicious communications to HMRC:
forward suspicious texts claiming to be from HMRC to 60599
HMRC works to protect the public from scammers. In the 12 months to September 2023, HMRC has responded to 60,000 reports of phone scams alone and got 25,000 malicious web pages taken down.
Customers do not need to wait until 31 January before filing their tax return, they can submit it before then but do not have to pay until the deadline, unless they choose to. Filing earlier allows them to find out what they owe sooner or if they are owed money, get their refund.
Help and support is available on GOV.UK to help customers complete their return, there is no need to call us. HMRC has a wide range of online resources to help customers file a tax return including a series of video tutorials on YouTube and help and support guidance on GOV.UK alongside HMRC digital assistant, HMRC app, community forums and the help and support email service.
Self Assessment customers who are starting to think about their annual tax returns for the 2021 to 2022 tax year should guard against being targeted by fraudsters, warns HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
In the 12 months to August 2022, HMRC responded to more than 180,000 referrals of suspicious contact from the public, of which almost 81,000 were scams offering fake tax rebates.
Criminals claiming to be from HMRC have targeted individuals by email, text and phone with their communications ranging from offering bogus tax rebates to threatening arrest for tax evasion. Contacts like these should sound alarm bells – HMRC would never call threatening arrest.
Anyone contacted by someone claiming to be from HMRC in a way that arouses suspicion is advised to take their time and check the scams advice on GOV.UK.
Customers can report any suspicious activity to HMRC. They can forward suspicious texts claiming to be from HMRC to 60599 and emails to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk. Any tax scam phone calls can be reported to HMRC using the online form on GOV.UK.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “Never let yourself be rushed. If someone contacts you saying they’re from HMRC, wanting you to urgently transfer money or give personal information, be on your guard.
“HMRC will never ring up threatening arrest. Only criminals do that.
“Tax scams come in many forms. Some threaten immediate arrest for tax evasion, others offer a rebate. Contacts like these should set alarm bells ringing, so take your time and check ‘HMRC scams advice’ on GOV.UK.”
Fraudsters target customers when they know they are more likely to be in contact with HMRC, which is why Self Assessment customers should be extra vigilant to this activity. There is a risk they could 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.
Some customers who have not done a Self Assessment return previously might be tricked into clicking on links in these emails or texts and revealing personal or financial information to criminals.
The deadline for filing paper tax returns for the 2021 to 2022 tax year is 31 October 2022, and 31 January 2023 for those filing their tax return online. Customers who file their return online via GOV.UK should not share their HMRC login details. Someone using the details could steal from the customer or make a fraudulent claim in their name.
HMRC is actively tackling the scams and fraudsters who attempt to mimic genuine HMRC activity and messages. The department’s dedicated Customer Protection Team works continuously to identify and close down scams.
HMRC also tackles misleading websites designed to make people pay for services that should be free or low cost, charging to connect people to free HMRC phone helplines. To protect the public, HMRC formally disputes and takes ownership of HMRC-branded internet domain or website names. Since 2017, the department has recovered more than 183 websites hosting low-value services such as call-connection sites, saving the public millions of pounds.
As university students around Scotland enrol on their undergraduate courses this September, scammers continue to employ new and creative methods to defraud unsuspecting students out of thousands of pounds online.
With this in mind, David Janssen, a cybersecurity expert and founder of VPNOverview, has put together a list of the most common online student scams, including what to look out for and how to avoid them.
1. Student Loans Company (SLC) phishing scam
If your course is starting in September this year, then your government student loan will be paid to you in three instalments, which you should receive during September, January and April.
Scammers will choose to send ‘phishing’ emails or texts to students during these months, in which they falsely pose as the Student Loans Company asking you to verify personal banking information. These texts or emails often ask the user to log into their account and confirm their banking details via a ‘secure link’ in order to receive their first loan payment. This link will then direct the user to a copycat webpage that replicates the SLC website, which then steals your personal and banking details.
While these emails can be quite convincing, giveaways you have received an SLC scam email include; spelling or grammatical errors in the body of text, pixelated or stretched images of SLC logos and generic greetings such as ‘Dear Sir/Madam/Student.’
Remember, SLC will never ask you to confirm your bank details via email or text message. Only ever log into your student finance account through the government login portal to check or update your loan payment details. If you suspect you have received a phishing text or email, forward it to phishing@slc.co.uk or your university IT department before deleting it.
2. HMRC tax rebate scam
University students often choose to take on a part-time job in order to provide an additional source of income to help cover their cost of living. For some this may be their first time in employment, meaning they haven’t paid tax before and are unfamiliar with genuine contact from HMRC, making them more vulnerable to online scammers.
Cybercriminals will send text messages and emails to students, claiming to be from HMRC, stating that the individual is owed a tax refund. The message will then prompt the person to first confirm their details through the link provided in order to receive this money.
Much like Student Loan Company scams, these texts and emails can be quite convincing and will use images and formal language to make the user believe it is legitimate. The link will either lead to a fake website, where the user unknowingly hands over their personal details, or it will download malware onto the user’s device which then harvests their personal information.
It’s important to note that HMRC will never ask you to click through on any links in their communication with you. If you are genuinely entitled to a tax refund, HMRC will send you a letter stating so. If you are unsure whether you have received a scam HMRC email, forward it to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk where they will confirm whether or not it is a legitimate correspondence. Scam texts can be forwarded for free to 60599.
3. Freshers Week ticket scam
As a new student, you are likely going to worry about missing out on key social events such as Freshers Week, where you can mix with other students during your first week of university.
Scammers will try to exploit students by posting fake student or freshers’ events on Instagram or Facebook, with the aim of pocketing your money. These events will often imply they are the only ‘official’ event and may include phrases such as ‘Limited availability’ or ‘Final Release’ in the event title, creating a sense of urgency to buy tickets so that you don’t miss out.
In reality, Freshers’ Week tickets rarely sell out, and some universities will even allow you to buy them throughout your first week of university. Even when buying a genuine Fresher’s Week ticket or wristband online, you may be required to purchase it through a separate designated website.
The best way to ensure that you are buying from the correct site is to visit your university’s official website and click through to the ticket page from there, rather than searching online or clicking through from Facebook or Instagram pages.
4. Facebook Marketplace scam
The majority of university courses require students to complete some form of additional reading outside of their lecture hours. However, as brand-new course textbooks can be expensive, many students opt for second-hand books from Facebook Marketplace or Facebook resale groups.
Scammers will often set up fake accounts, posing as a Facebook Marketplace seller promising to post the textbooks once you have bank transferred the money. Warning signs that you are dealing with a fraudulent seller include; their profile has only recently joined Facebook, they have limited or no profile pictures or there is little engagement from other users on their profile.
Even if the Facebook user appears authentic and trustworthy, avoid bank transferring money to people you do not know. Suggest meeting up on campus or in a public place, and offer to pay in cash rather than via bank transfer. Alternatively, Amazon sells used copies of textbooks through verified sellers, where you will have a level of buyer protection.
5. Student accommodation rental scam
A few months into your university experience you may begin looking for accommodation for your second year of study, which is often based off campus. Unfortunately, fraudulent landlords will be looking to make a quick buck from unsuspecting students looking to rent shared student accommodation.
One common rental scam involves the would-be ‘landlord’ listing a non-existent property online and then requesting for a holding deposit to be made in order to take the property off the market. The listing is then taken offline, and the landlord is no longer contactable.
Remember, if the price looks too good to be true then it probably is. Make sure you view the property in person before placing any kind of deposit and aim to use a trusted student letting agent to avoid falling victim to this type of scam.
Your university website or student union may also offer a list of verified and trusted letting agents located within your area.
The Chancellor has announced that a new fraud squad, recruited from data analytics experts and leading economic crime investigators, will crack down on criminal gangs who rip off the taxpayer.
Operational in July and based in the Cabinet Office, the new £25 million “Public Sector Fraud Authority” will double funding for the Government’s central counter fraud capacity.
More details of the new fraud squad confirmed at the first meeting of the Chancellor chaired Efficiencies and Value for Money Committee.
A NEW £25 million central government taskforce that will enlist an elite team of experts to crack-down on fraudsters who attempt to steal taxpayers’ cash will be operational by the summer, the Chancellor has announced.
Rishi Sunak unveiled the new Public Sector Fraud Authority, which will be up and running by July, doubling the Government’s central counter fraud capacity.
The new body will recruit leading data analytics experts and economic crime investigators to recover money stolen from Covid support schemes and spot suspicious companies and people seeking Government contracts. Counter fraud experts will also mount mandatory inspections on Whitehall programmes to uncover vulnerabilities.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak said: “We will chase down fraudsters who rip off the taxpayer. This elite fraud squad, backed by £25 million, will ensure the latest counter fraud techniques are being used to track down these criminals.
“People are rightly furious that fraudsters took advantage of our vital Covid support schemes, and we are acting to make sure they pay the price.”
Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency, Jacob Rees-Mogg said: “Hardworking taxpayers must and will be protected. Anyone who tries to defraud the public purse will know that we as a government are coming for them and we are going to put them behind bars.”
Recruitment for the Chief Executive of the Public Sector Fraud Authority will start in the coming weeks, with candidates picked from leading counter fraud experts. The new CEO will answer directly to the Chancellor and the Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency.
Mr Sunak unveil details of the new counter fraud squad when he chaired the first meeting of the government’s new Efficiencies and Value for Money Committee on Thursday, set up at the request of the Prime Minister.
At the committee the Chancellor also launched the Government’s Plan for Protecting the Taxpayer to cut waste by slashing the Government’s property bill, doubling the NHS efficiencies target, reducing non-front line civil service head count, as well as “quango” budgets and cracking down on fraud and error.
The committee is chaired by the Chancellor and deputy co-chaired by Simon Clarke, Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Jacob Rees-Mogg, Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency.
The full membership of the committee, confirmed today, is Steve Barclay, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Oliver Dowden, Minister without Portfolio and Michael Ellis, Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is today warning customers not to share sensitive personal information online to avoid their identities being used to commit tax fraud.
HMRC is aware that criminals are attempting to obtain customers’ Government Gateway logins and other personal details, enabling them to register for Income Tax Self Assessment and submit bogus tax refund claims before pocketing the repayment.
Individuals, ranging from teenagers to pensioners, are being targeted on social media platforms by fraudsters seeking to ‘borrow’ their identities. In return, the individual is promised a cut of the tax refund ‘risk-free’.
Handing over sensitive personal information to criminals like this, even inadvertently, risks individuals involving themselves in tax fraud, and having to pay back the full value of the fraudulent claim.
Customers should therefore only deal with HMRC directly or through their tax advisor in relation to their Self Assessment tax refunds.
Simon Cubitt, Head of Cybercrime, HMRC said: “People need to think extremely carefully before they involve themselves in an arrangement like this, because if something looks too good to be true, then it almost certainly is.
“Those who get involved risk becoming the victim of blackmail, threats of violence and wider abuse of their personal information, as criminals seek to exploit them further.
“I urge anyone who may be aware of these dishonest attempts to recruit individuals into criminality, to report it us by searching ‘Report Fraud HMRC’ on GOV.UK and completing our online form.”
In addition to their Government Gateway credentials, customers may also be asked to provide details of their bank account, passport, driving licence, address, date of birth, and National Insurance number.
HMRC is working with other law enforcement agencies and social media companies to tackle criminality on online platforms.
Last month (10 February), HMRC made coordinated arrests of four individuals aged between 16 and 33 in Hertfordshire, Bristol, Derbyshire and Buckinghamshire as part of an investigation into suspected Self Assessment repayment fraud and money laundering offences. Investigations are ongoing.
As HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) prepares to issue emails and SMS to Self Assessment customers, the department is reminding them to be on their guard after nearly 800,000 tax-related scams were reported in the last year.
Fraudsters use Self Assessment to try and steal money or personal information from unsuspecting individuals. In the last year alone, HMRC has received nearly 360,000 bogus tax rebate referrals.
The Self Assessment deadline is 31 January 2022 and customers may expect to hear from HMRC at this time of year. More than 4 million emails and SMS will be issued this week to Self Assessment customers pointing them to guidance and support, prompting them to think about how they intend to pay their tax bill, and to seek support if they are unable to pay in full by 31 January.
However, the department is also warning customers to not be taken in by malicious emails, phone calls or texts, thinking that these are genuine HMRC communications referring to their Self Assessment tax return.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “Never let yourself be rushed. If someone contacts you saying they’re from HMRC, wanting you to urgently transfer money or give personal information, be on your guard.
“HMRC will also never ring up threatening arrest. Only criminals do that.
“Scams come in many forms. Some threaten immediate arrest for tax evasion, others offer a tax rebate. Contacts like these should set alarm bells ringing, so if you are in any doubt whether the email, phone call or text is genuine, you can check the ‘HMRC scams’ advice on GOV.UK and find out how to report them to us.”
Criminals use emails, phone calls and text messages to try and dupe individuals, and often mimic government messages to make them appear authentic. They want to trick their victims into handing over money or personal or financial information.
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 60599.
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. More recently, new controls have prevented 90% of the most convincing SMS messages from reaching the public and controls have been applied to prevent spoofing of most HMRC helpline numbers.
HMRC is also reminding Self Assessment customers to double check websites and online forms before using them to complete their 2020/21 tax return.
People can be taken in by misleading websites designed to make them pay for help in submitting tax returns or charging to connect them to HMRC phone lines.
Customers who are in any doubt about whether a website is genuine should visit GOV.UK for more information about Self Assessment and use the free signposted tax return forms.
