HMRC REfund email scam

Banking & Financial Tax & Social charges
1

I am sure most of your are too savvy to fall for this one but there is a fairly convincing HMRC email phishing email claiming that there is a refund waiting for you. It looks fairly legit (apart from "Mother Maiden Name") bad english is usually an indication of a phish like this.


Anyway fyi HMRC themselves say "HMRC wi l l never s end notifications of a tax rebate / refund by email, or ask you to disclose personal or payment information by email."

2

I have seen several very smilar, indeed mostly West African origin, but this was the first I have seen where the reply email was @hmrc.gov it was only the html link that did the phishing which was why I flagged it up. Usually the return email gives it away

3

It has been around quite a while. It has West African origins but nobody appears to have tracked down the source and anyway the authorities in many countries do nothing anyway.