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Taxpayers are being targeted by thousands of fraudulent emails claiming to come from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as the self-assessment deadline draws closer.
Small business owners and the self-employed are being sent fake "phishing" emails to try to trick them into handing over their bank or credit card details, claiming they are owed a tax rebate, in what HMRC is describing as "the most sophisticated and prolific scam" it has dealt with.
Taxpayers who fall for the fraud risk having their financial details sold to organised criminal gangs and the possibility of having money stolen from their bank accounts.
HMRC said it was receiving around 500 of these emails each day, which had been forwarded by consumers. The messages are being sent out by fraudsters in the run up to the 31 January deadline for self-assessment forms, at a time when many taxpayers will be due a rebate. Taxpayers are also being asked to call a phone line to leave their details. Those who do so will hear a ringing tone, but are being charged up to £6 a minute as they hold for a reply.
HMRC urged people to be on guard for scam emails trying to gather personal information and bank details, and said consumers should regard with suspicion any email claiming to offer them a tax refund.
"We only ever contact customers who are due a refund in writing by post," said a spokesman for HMRC. "We never use emails, telephone calls or external companies in these circumstances, and it is very important that anyone receiving it does not reply or provide any personal details whatsoever."
Since last April HMRC has been forwarded 11,000 fake emails received by taxpayers, but the problem has grown significantly this month. The message typically tells the recipient they are due a tax refund and asks for their details so a refund can be paid. They are sent from false addresses such as refundtax@hmrc.gov.co.uk and TaxRefund@hmrc.gov.uk.
HMRC has so far had fake websites taken down in Austria, Mexico, the US, Thailand and Japan as it attempts to stamp out the fraud.
"We are liaising closely with those agencies working to close down and prosecute those behind the scams," said a spokesman. "We have an address on our website to which such attempted frauds should be reported - if you are in any doubt about a communication claiming to be from HMRC please contact us."
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