Beware! – 170,000 scams reported to HMRC against taxpayers
Beware! – 170,000 scams reported to HMRC against taxpayers
Scammers are continuing to ramp up their activity as HMRC warns of risk of dodgy tax refund offers and even threats of arrest for failure to pay a tax bill!
With over 170,000 scam incidents reported to HMRC in the 12 months to 31 July 2025, of which 28% of these reports involved fake tax refund claims, means taxpayers need to remain vigilant.
HMRC has warned it is even more critical this year to be aware after a massive breach of taxpayer accounts, disclosed in June, in which 100,000 users of online HMRC personal tax accounts had their accounts compromised in a large-scale phishing attack against the tax department last autumn. This unauthorised access breach cost HMRC £47m in lost revenue it is believed.
Scams targeting taxpayers are a major problem, exacerbated this year by the Treasury decision to U-turn on winter fuel payments so scammers now have a new revenue stream and are hard at work trying to rip everyone off with blanket phishing texts pretending to be from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). With tax considerations also coming into play due to the £35,000 threshold, this is yet another concern.
The latest scam warning from HMRC focuses on people preparing their tax returns, and stated: ‘If someone receives a communication including a text, email or phone call claiming to be from HMRC that asks for personal details or offers a tax rebate, they should check the official HMRC scams guidance immediately to check out whether it is genuine.’
More often than not it will be a scam as HMRC never contacts taxpayers by email, text or phone to inform them about a refund or ask them to claim one.
One of the current email scams doing the rounds says, ‘there have been discrepancies in your previous tax return’, and warns the recipient they ‘must log in by the end of the week to avoid penalties’.
Although this refund notification email looks quite official, the email sender address is a giveaway, stating it comes from the ‘Tax Authority of the United Kingdom ID – 317487’ no less. There is also a strange reference to HMRC ‘anti-fraud protocols (Act 123/UK2023)’, a completely non-sensical legal citation, although the problem is that it looks quite convincing to the untrained eye.
‘Scammers often impersonate HMRC, offering fake refunds or demanding urgent payments to steal personal and banking information,’ HMRC added.
‘They may say it’s safe to share personal details. It’s not. Passwords, usernames, and access codes are private, and customers should never share them, even with someone they trust or who helps them with their tax.’
Remember – HMRC will never:
- leave voicemails threatening legal action or arrest.
- ask for personal or financial information via text message or email.
- contact customers by email, text, or phone to inform them about a refund or ask them to claim one.
Kelly Paterson, HMRC’s chief security officer, said: ‘We’re urging everyone to stay alert to scam emails and texts offering fake tax refunds. Taking a moment to pause and check can make all the difference. Report any suspicious activity to us before the fraudsters do any more harm. Search ‘HMRC scams advice’ and refer to the scam’s guidance on gov.uk to stay informed and protect yourself.’
Kennedys Accounting has previously published other blogs on this subject, please also read the following and contact us if you are concerned, our team are always happy to help.
https://kennedysaccounting.uk/hike-in-scams-targeting-taxpayers-insights/
https://kennedysaccounting.uk/scams-circulating-as-hmrc-insights/