Due to the frequency of these emails and the number of people that are falling victim, it is important that you are vigilant and know how to spot a fraudulent email.
How to tell if an email is Fraudulent
Spelling and grammar:
Often fraudulent emails will be full of spelling and grammatical mistakes. If this is the case, then the email is not from HMRC.
Asking for personal information:
HMRC will never email you to:
- Notify you of a tax rebate
- Offer you a repayment
- Ask you for personal or confidential information, such as your full address, postcode, unique taxpayer code or your bank account details
Urgent action required:
HMRC will never in an email ask for a reply or the links to be completed immediately or in a short time frame. For example ‘you only have 3 days to reply’ or ‘urgent action required.’ If the email says these things, or phrases similar, then it is a fraudulent email.
Common greeting:
An email from HMRC will greet you with the name you provided to them when you signed up. If the email greets you with ‘Dear customer’ then you know that it is fraudulent. HMRC will always start an email with your full name.
Attachments:
Be wary of emails that contain attachments. These attachments could contain a virus which is designed to steal your personal information. If there is an attachment and you are unsure whether it is from HMRC then do not open it.
If you have received an email from HMRC and are unsure of its authenticity, contact lee.manning@raffingers.co.uk who will advise you.
Article by
Lee Manning