An urgent warning has been issued by the UK's national fraud and cyber reporting centre regarding a dangerous new scam.
Action Fraud has revealed that it has gotten hundreds of complaints about a fraudulent email purporting to be from HMRC.
The message tells victims that they are due money from the UK Government department as a result of an overpayment.
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It then tells recipients to follow a link in order to claim the cash, as reported by the Daily Express.
This type of fraud is referred to as a phishing scam, as it attempts to bait victims into releasing important and personal information such as bank details.
Taking to Twitter to warn the public about the new scam, Action Fraud said: "Criminals target the public with fake HMRC tax refund emails. We've received 442 reports in two weeks about fake emails purporting to be from HMRC."
It added: "The emails state the recipient is owed a tax refund (rebate), and the links provided in the emails lead to genuine-looking phishing websites that are designed to steal personal and financial information.
"HMRC will never send notifications of a tax rebate to ask you to disclose personal or payment information by email."
Those who receive the fake email should report it immediately to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk.
While the email looks very convincing, there are a number of telltale signs that can help you sniff out a scam.
How to recognise a phishing scam email
An easy way to spot a scam is to look out for spelling mistakes, as it is very unlikely that an official correspondence would include a typo.
You should also check the email address of the sender, as genuine messages will be sent from an official domain.
Email addresses including 'hotmail' or 'gmail' should immediately tell you that the message is fake.
If you still aren't sure whether the correspondence is real, you should get in touch with the organisation that the email is claiming to be from and check with them.
Other phishing scams
The new scam is the latest in a long line of fraudulent activity that Action Fraud has warned the public about.
Criminals have also been sending fake emails claiming to be from energy regulator Ofgem, with an offer of an energy bill rebate.
The fraud reporting centre got more than 700 reports of this scam in only four days.
In an interview with the Daily Express, City of London Police Detective Chief Inspector Craig Mullish stated: "There has been a sudden flurry of reports relating to fake emails purporting to be from Ofgem.
"These attempt to hook the public in by claiming that the recipient is eligible to apply for an energy bill rebate.
"The link will then take you through to a genuine-looking website that intends to steal your personal and financial information."
DCI Mullish also shared some tips to help the public take action when they are sent an email that looks suspicious:
- Stop - Take a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information could keep you safe
- Challenge - Could it be fake? It's okay to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you
- Protect - If you think you've been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud online at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040
