A scam warning has been issued to people who claim Tax Credits ahead of an upcoming deadline.
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) says anyone who claims Tax Credits should be "on their guard" amid new tactics being used by fraudsters. The alert comes as new scams have been reported.
According to HMRC, criminals use deadlines, like the Tax Credits renewal deadline on July 31, to target victims. The scams mimic Government communications to make them appear genuine.
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Typical scam examples are said to include:
- emails or texts claiming an individual’s details aren’t up to date and that they risk losing out on payments that are due to them
- emails or texts claiming that a direct debit payment hasn’t ‘gone through’
- phone calls threatening arrest if people don’t immediately pay fake tax owed
- claims that the victim’s national insurance number has been used in fraud
- emails or texts offering spurious tax rebates or bogus grants or support
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s director general for customer services, told the Liverpool Echo: "Tax scams come in many forms and we’re urging customers to be alert to the tactics used by fraudsters and never to let yourselves be rushed. If someone contacts you saying they’re from HMRC and asks you to give personal information or urgently transfer money, be on your guard.
"Search ‘HMRC scams’ advice on GOV.UK to find out how to report scams and help us fight these crimes."
Scam messages can be convincing, and people may be pressured into make rushed decisions. HMRC will never ring anyone out of the blue making threats or asking them to transfer money.
According to the National Cyber Security Centre, HMRC was the third most spoofed Government body in 2022, behind the NHS and TV Licensing. HMRC is also urging Tax Credit customers to be alert to misleading websites or adverts asking them to pay for Government services which are free, often by charging for a connection to HMRC helplines.
HMRC is currently sending out Tax Credits renewal packs to customers and is reminding anyone who has not received theirs to wait until after June 15 before contacting them. People are also being warned not to share their HMRC login details with anyone else. Someone using these could steal from the account owner or make a fraudulent claim in their name and leave customers having to pay back the full value of any fraudulent repayment claim made on their behalf.
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