Tax-Related Fake Websites Along with E-mails Yet Targeting Taxpayers, Cautions HMRC

According to a warning by the tax agency of UK namely HMRC (Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs), online fraudsters have started attacking people entitled for tax credits through fraudulent electronic mails as well as fake text messages and Internet sites as the deadline 31st July 2015 for filing returns approaches, published rochdaleonline.co.uk dated July 2, 2015.

Fresh statistical figures indicate that HMRC received reports of almost 51,000 phishing electronic mails during July 2014-April 2015 that was twice as many that of the previous identical period.

A few scam e-mails from these asserted as messages from so-called "Tax Credit Office Agent" informing about certain tax refund, alternatively contained web-link for an imposter edition of gov.uk site. Users frequently get asked for giving their passwords or other sensitive information else bank details so scammers can thereafter steal funds from their financial A/Cs, alternatively give away the identities to other crooks for good money.

In 2014, HMRC in coordination with separate agencies of the government disabled 8,877 fraudulent sites, accounting for a 500% rise over those in 2013.

Benefits and Credits Director General Nick Lodge at HMRC says that HMRC won't ever request the general public to e-mail their confidential information. The tax agency has exposed scam websites along with phishing e-mails, nonetheless, fraudsters keep finding new methods; therefore, end-users should remain watchful, he advises, adding that the sole means for reporting changes and renewing tax compensations is gov.uk. Expressandstar.com reported this, July 1, 2015.

By accessing www.gov.uk/dealing-with-hmrc/phishing-scams one can find the suggestions from HMRC for identifying scam e-mails.

Anyone getting a seemingly suspicious e-mail may send it at phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk.

Disturbingly, taxpayers in United Kingdom aren't the sole people to become targets of Internet scammers with tax-related fake e-mails. Even ATO (Australia's Taxation Office) reportedly warned of similar scams. During the end-week of 2015, one particular scam told of forthcoming tax inspections by the revenue authority so netizens can prepare everything in advance, including correctly calculating their taxes. For that purpose therefore, an online form was included as the scam e-mail's attachment for being duly completed. But, the attachment in reality turned out to be malicious software, researchers reported.

» SPAMfighter News - 7/16/2015