Tax chiefs warn of scams ahead of deadline

Taxpayers are being warned to watch out for criminals posing as tax officials, who may offer them fake refunds or persuade them to pay bogus bills.

The warning from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) comes ahead of the self-assessment tax return deadline of January 31, 2021.

In the past 12 months, HMRC says it has received more than 846,000 reports of suspicious HMRC contact from people and reported over 15,500 malicious web pages to be taken down.

Nearly 500,000 of the reports involved offers of bogus tax rebates.

Imposters use language intended to convince those targeted to hand over personal information, including bank details, in order to claim the "refund".

They then use the information to access the victim’s bank accounts, trick them into paying fictitious tax bills, or sell on their personal information to other criminals.

HMRC's interim director general for customer services, Karl Khan, said: "We know that criminals take advantage of the self-assessment deadline to panic customers into sharing their personal or financial details and even paying bogus 'tax due'. If someone calls, emails or texts claiming to be from HMRC, offering financial help or asking for money, it might be a scam. Please take a moment to think before parting with any private information or money."

Pauline Smith, head of Action Fraud, said: "It's important to remember if you're contacted out the blue by someone purporting to be from HMRC asking for your personal or financial details, or offering you a tax rebate, grant or refund, this could be a scam.”