Stay vigilant about scams, which may mimic government/HMRC messages as a way of appearing authentic and unthreatening.

Should you receive a suspicious text, phone call or email, you should notify HMRC by forwarding suspicious emails claiming to be from HMRC to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 60599

Below are some examples of scams that HMRC are aware of:

Examples of HMRC related phishing emails and bogus contact

Coronavirus (COVID-19) scams

Email scams

HMRC is aware of a phishing campaign telling customers they can claim a tax refund to help protect themselves from the coronavirus outbreak.

Do not reply to the email and do not open any links in the message.

The email has been issued in various formats. An example of this scam is below:

Example of a scam email which is asking the user to click on hyperlinks to get a refund.

SMS scams

‘Goodwill payment’ SMS

HMRC is aware of coronavirus SMS scams telling customers they can claim a ‘goodwill payment’. Do not reply to the SMS and do not open any links in the message.

This is an example of the scam wording:

‘As Part of the NHS promise to battle the COV- 19virus, HMRC has issued a payment of £258 as a goodwill payment. Follow link to apply.’.

‘£250 fine’ SMS

HMRC is aware of a SMS scam which states you will be fined £250 for leaving the house more than once. The message asks recipients to call an 0800 telephone number to appeal.

Do not reply to the SMS or call the phone number listed. An example of the scam is shown below:

Example of a coronavirus (COVID-19) SMS scam that tells people they have been fined £250.

Tax refund and rebate scams

Email addresses

HMRC will never send notifications by email about tax rebates or refunds.

Do not:

visit the website
open any attachments
disclose any personal or payment information

Fraudsters may spoof a genuine email address or change the ‘display name’ to make it appear genuine. If you are unsure, forward it to us and then delete it.

Example of a phishing email and bogus website

An example of a HMRC related phishing email scam is below:

An example of a phishing website designed to trick you into disclosing personal information is below:

Example of a spoof Tax Refund website which is asking the user to fill in personal details to get a refund.

Text messages

HMRC will never ask for personal or financial information when we send text messages.

Do not reply if you get a text message claiming to be from HMRC offering you a tax refund in exchange for personal or financial details. Do not open any links in the message.

Send any phishing text messages to 60599 (network charges apply) or email phishing@hmrc.gov.uk then delete it.

An example of a phishing text message is below:

Example of a bogus HM gov mobile text message which is trying to get the user to click on a hyperlink and enter personal details.

Bogus phone calls

HMRC is aware of an automated phone call scam which will tell you HMRC is filing a lawsuit against you, and to press one to speak to a caseworker to make a payment. We can confirm this is a scam and you should end the call immediately.

This scam has been widely reported and often targets elderly and vulnerable people.

Other scam calls may offer a tax refund and request you to provide your bank or credit card information. If you cannot verify the identity of the caller, we recommend that you do not speak to them.

If you’ve been a victim of the scam and suffered financial loss, report it to Action Fraud.

The calls use a variety of phone numbers. To help our investigations you should report full details of the scam by email to: phishing@hmrc.gov.uk, including the:

date of the call
phone number used
content of the call

WhatsApp messages

HMRC will never use ‘WhatsApp’ to contact customers about a tax refund. If you receive any communication through ‘WhatsApp’ saying it’s from HMRC, it is a scam. Email details of the message to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk then delete it.

HMRC is aware of direct messages sent to customers through social media.

A recent scam was identified on Twitter offering a tax refund.

These messages are not from genuine HMRC social media accounts and are a scam. We never use social media to:

offer a tax rebate
request personal or financial information

If you cannot verify the identify of the social media account, send the details by email to: phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and ignore it.

Refund companies

HMRC is aware of companies that send emails or texts advertising their services. They offer to apply to HMRC for a tax rebate on your behalf, usually for a fee. These companies are not connected with HMRC in any way.

You should read the ‘small print’ and disclaimers before using their services.