HMRC in scam warning
HMRC has urged people to be on guard amid concerns that self-assessment taxpayers could be the target of scams, with more than 570,000 having been reported in the past year. The tax office said customers are at increased risk of falling victim at this time of year, with the self-assessment filing deadline having recently passed, noting that fraudsters may target taxpayers with emails, texts and calls offering a refund or making demands for unpaid tax. In the 12 months to January, nearly 220,000 scams reported to HMRC offered bogus tax rebates. Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s director general for customer services, said: “If someone contacts you saying they’re from HMRC, wanting you to transfer money or give personal information, be on your guard.”
