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Taxpayers targeted by e-mail fraudsters
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Thousands of taxpayers are being targeted by fraudsters every day with fake e-mails trying to trick them into handing over their bank details.
Small business owners and the self-employed are being sent fake mess*ages stating they are owed a tax rebate and asking for bank or credit card details so the money can be refunded.
Alternatively, they are asked to call a phone line to leave their details.
The line appears to keep ringing even though callers are being charged up to £6 a minute.
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Revenue and Customs chief exec*utive Lesley Strathie said: 'This is the most sop*h*isticated and prolific phishing scam that we have encountered.'
The messages are being sent out as the January 31 deadline nears for self-assessment forms and when many taxpayers will be due a rebate.
HMRC said concerned taxpayers were forwarding 500 of the fake e-mails to the authorities every day but it feared the true number sent by the tricksters was far higher.
Last year, between April and November, officials were forwarded 11,000 fake e-mails received from taxpayers but the problem has grown hugely this month.
The messages include the HMRC logo and are sent from addresses such as refundtax@hmrc.gov.co.uk and TaxRefund@hmrc.gov.uk.
Taxpayers who fall for the fraud risk thefts from their bank accounts and having their financial details sold to organised criminal gangs.
HMRC has had fake websites taken down in Austria, Mexico, the US, Thailand and Japan as it attempts to weed out the culprits.
Ms Strathie said: 'We only ever contact customers who are due a refund in writing by post. We never use e-mails, telephone calls or external companies in these circumstances.'
A spokesman for computer security company Sophos said: 'It's a trick that works. People are all too willing to enter their details on to websites without thinking twice.'
He advised the public to type in the web address of a site they wanted to visit rather than clicking on links in unsolicited e-mails. 'It's the most prolific scam we've seen'
Source: Taxpayers targeted by e-mail fraudsters | Metro.co.uk
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Thousands of taxpayers are being targeted by fraudsters every day with fake e-mails trying to trick them into handing over their bank details.
Small business owners and the self-employed are being sent fake mess*ages stating they are owed a tax rebate and asking for bank or credit card details so the money can be refunded.
Alternatively, they are asked to call a phone line to leave their details.
The line appears to keep ringing even though callers are being charged up to £6 a minute.
RELATED ITEMS
Latest news bulletinRevenue and Customs chief exec*utive Lesley Strathie said: 'This is the most sop*h*isticated and prolific phishing scam that we have encountered.'
The messages are being sent out as the January 31 deadline nears for self-assessment forms and when many taxpayers will be due a rebate.
HMRC said concerned taxpayers were forwarding 500 of the fake e-mails to the authorities every day but it feared the true number sent by the tricksters was far higher.
Last year, between April and November, officials were forwarded 11,000 fake e-mails received from taxpayers but the problem has grown hugely this month.
The messages include the HMRC logo and are sent from addresses such as refundtax@hmrc.gov.co.uk and TaxRefund@hmrc.gov.uk.
Taxpayers who fall for the fraud risk thefts from their bank accounts and having their financial details sold to organised criminal gangs.
HMRC has had fake websites taken down in Austria, Mexico, the US, Thailand and Japan as it attempts to weed out the culprits.
Ms Strathie said: 'We only ever contact customers who are due a refund in writing by post. We never use e-mails, telephone calls or external companies in these circumstances.'
A spokesman for computer security company Sophos said: 'It's a trick that works. People are all too willing to enter their details on to websites without thinking twice.'
He advised the public to type in the web address of a site they wanted to visit rather than clicking on links in unsolicited e-mails. 'It's the most prolific scam we've seen'
Source: Taxpayers targeted by e-mail fraudsters | Metro.co.uk
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