HMRC Halts Thousands of Scam Text Messages
Harvey Telford and Bates Chartered Accountants in Shrewsbury, Shropshire highlight HMRC will never contact taxpayers who are due a tax refund by text message or by email. The team at HTB Accountants provide support and guidance for their clients on how to spot false HMRC correspondence.
Dannielle Harvey, Director at Harvey, Telford and Bates Chartered Accountants commented:
‘Fraudulent HMRC text messages and emails can be very convincing, from ‘phishing’ emails to ‘tax refund’ text messages, it is important to take note of the warning signs on how to identify these fraudsters. The steps the government is taking to clamp down on the scam messages is very reassuring.’
HM Revenue and Customs Press Release States:
‘Fraudsters alleging to be from HMRC send text messages to unsuspecting members of the public. In these messages they will make false claims, such as suggesting they are due a tax rebate. Messages will usually include links to websites that harvest personal information or spread malware. This can in turn lead to identity fraud and the theft of people’s personal savings.’
HMRC’s Director of Customer Services, Angela MacDonald, said:
‘HMRC is focused on becoming the most digitally advanced tax authority in the world, and a big part of that relates to keeping our customers safe from online scammers.’
‘As email and website scams become less effective, fraudsters are increasingly turning to text messages to con taxpayers. But as these numbers show, we won’t rest until these criminals are out of avenues to exploit.’
‘We have made significant progress is cutting down these types of crime, but one of the most effective ways to tackle it is still to help the public spot the tell-tale signs of fraud.’
Find out more on how to identify fraudsters
To read details of the measures taken by HMRC and other advice on spotting fraud visit the government website, alternatively get in touch with the team at Harvey Telford and Bates Chartered Accountants in Shrewsbury for more information. Call 01743 462604 or email [email protected].
