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HMRC are stressing that individuals should not visit the website contained within the email or disclose any personal or payment information. 

The email informs the recipient that calculations have revealed that they are legible to receive a tax refund and asks the recipient to click on a link and complete the tax refund request.

The link takes you to an official looking form which requests personal information including name address and also requests credit card details. Once the form is submitted the phishers have all the information they need to steal your identity and your money. 

General advice to avoid being phished.

Be wary of unexpected emails and ask yourself..

• Do I know the person who has sent it?
• Am I expecting an email and does the email make any sense?
• Never go to a website from a link in an email and enter personal details
• Always type in the address into the web browser and if in doubt, contact the organisation separately on an advertised number.
• Keep passwords and pin numbers safe and secret
• Be wary of disclosing any personal information to someone you don’t know.
• Keep your PC Secure
• Use up-to-date anti-virus software and anti-spyware, security patches and a firewall.

Discus offer a Hosted Email Solution to help prevent receipt of this kind of malicious email and also a Web Management Service to prevent access to questionable web sites.

Please call 08000 24 24 11 for more information

19-06-2009 - Approval of funds scam email

An email is being issued displaying the email address postmaster@hmrc.co.uk with the subject 'You are a winner of 168,240.00 GBP'. The email features an attachment and requests that personal details are recorded on the attachment and forwarded to info@lloydstsbprize.com.

10-06-2009 - Tax Rebate

HMRC is aware of a high number of emails being sent out offering a tax rebate. HMRC would not inform customers of a tax rebate via email, or invite them to complete an online form to receive a rebate of tax.

Do not visit the website contained within the email or disclose any personal or payment information.

Email addresses used to distribute the tax rebate emails include:

• successful@gov.uk
• customer.office@hmrc.customsoffice.gov.uk
• tax-service@hmrc.customs.gov.uk
• notify2@hrms.co.uk
• refundtax@hmrc.gov.co.uk
• TaxRefund@hmrc.gov.uk
• service@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk
• claims@hmrc.direct.gov.uk
• notice@hmrc.gov.uk
• hmrc@hmrc.gov.uk
• admin@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk
• info@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk
• no-reply@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk
• refund@hmrc.gov.uk
• Refound@hmrc.gov.uk
• IRS@hmrc.gov.uk
• services@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk
• service@HMRC.co.uk

HMRC does not send out emails using these email addresses.

An example of the tax rebate scam:

Example 1 (PDF 211K) (added 7 January 2009)
Example 2 (PDF 286K) (added 11 June 2008)
Example 3 (added 14 August 2007) (Left)