Unfortunately, there has been a lot of HMRC scams circulating recently, which can be extremely convincing and realistic.
To keep vigilant around these pesky scammers, we’ve asked Ryan Smith (our very own scam slayer) to share his top tips on how to keep safe from those crafty HMRC hackers.
Take it away Ryan
It’s now becoming increasingly difficult to know if a letter from HMRC is legitimate or a scam. With these scammers becoming more alert on how to catch people out, its no surprise that scams are on the rise.
The aim of their game is generally to fool taxpayers into giving personal information away, such as bank details, and to try and trick victims into thinking they are ‘doing the wrong thing,’ according to the National Cyber Security Centre.
Below I’ve listed my top tips on how to be able to spot a scam, starting with perhaps the most important…
Do a little digging
You’ll be surprised how sneaky these scammers can be. But sometimes they do show themselves up by missing small details such a digits in a phone number.
HMRC’s number and bank details can be easily Googled, so a quick search is all the digging you need to do to check if its legit or not!
Trust your gut feeling
If you have a feeling that a HMRC letter or email you’ve received could be a scam, don’t ignore it.
Often, your gut feeling is right. So, if you’ve received an unexpected bill from HMRC and have doubts that it’s legitimate, trust your instincts and investigate further before making any payment!
It’s better to be safe than sorry
Scammers have become extremely sophisticated and seem to be accessing private information such as amounts due and NI number or VAT numbers.
Received a letter from HMRC but you’re suspicious? Check your records and check with your accountant too – don’t just pay the amount stated on the letter!
Check, check, and check again
HMRC’s gateway allows you to log onto the platform and see for yourself when any bills are due.
It also outlines previous payments made, and you can view any correspondence they have sent you too, so you can see if the letter you have received is legit, as there
will be a copy on your account.
Don’t expect the unexpected
To avoid any doubts of whether post from HMRC is legitimate, make a note of key dates throughout the year that you are due to receive information from HMRC.
You’ll then know when to expect HMRC correspondence and have peace of mind that anything else you receive could be a scam. It’s unlikely that HMRC will send an email or text message as their way of contacting you for any payments due. Normally, any taxpayers that owe money to HMRC are contacted by letter.
Here to help
If you are worried about being scammed or think you may have fallen for a HMRC con, the best thing to do is to report it. For more details, and guidance on how to report other suspected phishing attacks, check the advice on GOV.UK on how to report any type of scam HMRC correspondence.
Alternatively, if you would like to speak to our friendly team of experts who can advise, fill out the form below and they will be in touch.
