New email 'scam' targets taxpayers

Date: 17th August 2009

Customers have been warned of a new scam being run by people posing as HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

An email from 2009@hmrc2009.co.uk is doing the rounds, telling recipients that they are welcome to apply for a tax refund from the authority, the Daily Mail reported.

The save tax con was brought to the attention of personal finance investigator Tony Hetherington by reader "M.P.", who received the email and then confirmed with his local tax office that it had not been sent by them.

In all, the reader was offered a tax refund of £285, following what the email termed "the last annual calculation of your fiscal activity" - to be returned within five to nine business days.

The email also demanded that the recipient send back their name, address, phone number, mother's maiden name and credit card details including three-digit security code.

Mr Hetherington commented: "The five to nine business days are not needed for the processing of any tax refund but to allow fraudsters to have fun with your credit card, buying all manner of goods by phone or over the internet."

The expert added that scams of this kind were becoming "more common", with messages from addresses including tax-refund@hmrcforms.co.uk and refundsdept@hmrc.gov.uk both aimed at catching customers out recently.