Don’t fall for fake text, email, WhatsApp, letter or phone tax scams 

It’s a sad fact of life now that many of us are targeted by scammers – regularly, in many cases. Whether it’s a bogus text, email, WhatsApp message, letter or phone call, some scams are easier to spot than others.

UK tax authority HMRC received more than 130,000 reports of tax scams in the 12 months to September 2023, with 58,000 of these offering fake tax rebates. In some cases, fraudulent approaches from criminals masquerading as HMRC look very official and convincing. So, what key facts can tell you that such an approach is an attempted scam and what should you do about it? 

Text scams

HMRC occasionally sends text messages to some taxpayers and they may include a link to information on government website GOV.UK or to HMRC webchat. But HMRC will never ask you to reveal personal or financial information via text messages.

Some text scams pretend to offer a “COVID-19 tax refund”, but they are just “phishing” attempts to get you to disclose information that you should never reveal in this way, nor would HMRC ask you to.  

Need to know! You should never open any links or reply to a text message claiming to be from HMRC that offers you a tax refund in exchange for revealing personal or financial details. Forward any suspicious text messages to 60599 (network charges apply) and HMRC will investigate. After you’ve done so, delete the text. 

Email scams

HMRC will never send notifications by email about tax rebates or refunds, so, don’t click on links within an email that encourage you to visit a website mentioned in a “tax rebate” email. Moreover, don’t open any email attachments or disclose any personal or payment information, because HMRC would never ask you to disclose this via an email. Attachments can contain “malware” (ie malicious software) or direct you to a bogus phishing website.

Need to know! Criminals may spoof a genuine email address or change the display name to make it appear legitimate. If you’re not 100% sure, forward it to HMRC and then delete it.

WhatsApp scams

You can subscribe to the UK government WhatsApp channel to receive updates on tax and other matters. They’re single message alerts to which you cannot reply. If you receive any other message via WhatsApp claiming to come from HMRC, it’s a scam, which you should report immediately.

QR code scams

QR codes often appear in HMRC letters and correspondence. Legitimate QR codes are designed to be a convenient and quick way to take you to official guidance on GOV.UK or another page (HMRC will explain which and why). If you’re logged into your tax account, HMRC may use QR codes to redirect you, for example, to your bank’s login page.

Need to know! A legitimate HMRC QR code will never take you to a web page that asks you to reveal personal or bank account information.

Phone call scams

Another popular tax scam is where your phone will ring and on answering you’ll hear an automated message telling you HMRC is taking legal action against you, and to press 1 to speak to an “HMRC case worker” to make a payment. It’s a scam. If you receive such a call, put the phone down straight away.

Other scam “phishing” calls pretend to offer a tax refund and request your bank or credit card information. Once again, end the call immediately.

Phishing phone calls can come from various phone numbers, whether in the UK (actually or seemingly) or from overseas numbers. If you receive such a call, to help HMRC investigate, write down the number and time of the call. Later you can enter call details on HMRC’s suspicious phone call reporting form, stating the date of the call, the phone number and what the caller or message said to you.

Need to know! If you’ve been a victim of a scam and you’ve lost money, you should report it straight away to Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime. It collates reports on fraud on behalf of the police in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Social media scams

In more recent years, scammers have been targeting taxpayers via direct messages on social media. Usually, again, they offer bogus tax refunds.

Need to know! Such messages do not come from genuine HMRC social media accounts. HMRC would never use social media to offer a tax rebate or request personal or financial information from you.

Refund companies

You may be contacted by companies that send emails or texts offering to claim tax refunds or rebates on your behalf, normally for a fee. These companies are in no way connected to HMRC. You should read the small print and disclaimers before using their services. Some companies are fraudulent, while others can charge a very high commission percentage if you are entitled to a tax refund. Best to find out for yourself.

Need to know! GOV.UK provides official guidance on how to claim a tax refund. 

How to report tax scams to HMRC

HMRC advises you not to reply to any suspicious approaches, whether by text, email, WhatsApp message, social media direct message, letter or phone message. You should email HMRC at [email protected] immediately with as much relevant information as possible. HMRC will take it from there.

Blog content is for information purposes and over time may become outdated, although we do strive to keep it current. It's written to help you understand your Tax's and is not to be relied upon as professional accounting, tax and legal advice due to differences in everyone's circumstances. For additional help please contact our support team or HMRC.