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Flintshire Residents Warned of Tax Rebate E-mail Scam

Trading Standards are alerting local residents of Flintshire (UK) to watch out for an e-mail scam promising tax refund.

The e-mail which pretends to come from HMRC (Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs) states that a tax reimbursement awaits the e-mail recipient. Furthermore, it provides a PDF attachment where the recipient is asked to furnish his private details.

The attachment displays a form that provides an authentic looking tax refund number and asks the user to furnish his full name, birth date, address along with post code, residence phone number, mother's name, credit card number, its code number and expiration date, filing status that is if married, single etc., as well as refund amount.

After giving out these details, the user is directed to click on the submit button, making him think that a tax reimbursement would be deposited into his account within 3-9 working days.

But actually, by entering his details, the user gives away everything to the scammers that could enable them to commit theft of identity and money.

They could also exploit the details to apply and possibly secure credit cards, passports, Internet services or purchase goods from as e-Bay by making the payments straight from the user's account.

The phishing e-mail displays the accurate telephone number and address for the Tax Credit Office. Nonetheless, HMRC state that they don't contact taxpayers via e-mail. To sound legitimate, the e-mail also states that each personal tax issue like refund or payment must be dealt with through the self-assessment website of the HMRC, for which the user needs to have an active account.

Meanwhile, officers of the Trading Standards are suggesting that people should not complete the form, while Flintshire Neighbourhood Watch Association too has issued an alert. A police spokesman said whoever gets this kind of e-mail should send it to his area police office.

Country-wide people have been receiving these kinds of fraudulent (phishing) e-mails over recent weeks. In June, a tax refund e-mail scam targeted people in North Wales (UK), while another hit people in South Lanarkshire (UK).

Related article: Flintshire Residents Asked to be Vigilant against Hackers

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