Scammers have tried to trick 75,000 taxpayers into paying them money by sending them bogus HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) phishing emails.
The false emails were reported in just six months to the end of September and reveal a 70% rise in attempted frauds over the same period last year.
The emails typically state the taxpayer is owed a refund and should send bank account details, passwords and other security information so the cash can be transferred to their account.
The crooks then try to access the taxpayer’s bank account to steal money.
The details are often sold to other identity theft fraudsters who try to use the information to commit crime.
Steve Singh, of HMRC Digital Security, said: “HMRC always sends letters about refunds, never emails as they can be intercepted or accessed by the wrong recipients more easily.
“Anyone who has an email from HMRC that mentions a refund should send it to our security department and delete it straight away as it could contain malicious software which could load on to your computer and steal personal information.”
Send the email to [email protected]
Tax avoidance notices go out
HMRC has sent notices to 600 taxpayers using suspected tax avoidance schemes demanding more than £250 million of disputed tax under the new accelerated payments regime.
Introduced in this year’s Finance Act, the measure tips the tables on avoidance schemes by demanding any tax claimed as saved upfront and requesting the taxpayer proves the scheme is legitimate.
Anyone receiving a notice has 90 days to pay. HMRC says £25 million has already been paid.
Financial Secretary to the Treasury David Gauke said: “This is a game changer for HMRC because instead of taking years to tackle the legality of these schemes, the tax has to be paid upfront and the providers then have to prove the schemes work .
HMRC intends to issue 2,500 notices a month to cover almost 45,000 taxpayers owing a disputed £7.1 billion in tax by March 2016.
Filing deadline
The deadline for submitting a paper self-assessment tax return is midnight on October 31.
HMRC has warned any returns filed late will pick up an automatic £100 fine, even if they have no tax to pay.
“Taxpayers who can’t make the deadline should file online,” said an HMRC spokesman. “This gives them until January 31, 2015 to sort out their financial affairs.”
