THE RETURN OF THE FAKE TAX REFUND EMAILS

THE latest fake email to be received by us and other businesses on Merseyside is yet another email offering a Tax Refund. "Taxpayers should not respond to any email promising a tax repayment" HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) warned small businesses across the UK. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) expect that fraudsters are again trying to exploit thousands with such ‘Phishing’ emails in the run up to the 31 January 2011 tax deadline. With businesses suffering from the effects of the economic climate, the fraudsters are hoping that people might not see the email as fake. The emails often tell the recipient that they are due a tax refund and directs them to an online form to provide bank or credit card details for the “rebate” to be paid into. Anyone providing their details would have their accounts emptied and credit cards used to their limit. The victim also risks having their personal and/or business details sold on to other organised criminal gangs. The email we received has been sent from what looks like a free email account via ISP in Sweden, run by Norway based communications, IT and media company called telenor.com and not hmrc.gov.uk. The email carries a link that on it that takes you to a web server hosting a website called notexgroup.ru. That website, if you enter normally says:- "OOO NOTEKS produces knitwear, yarn and imported products from knitted fabrics in Turkey, Germany and Poland." and oddly it is not HM Revenue & Customs... Should you click on the link ending in zsdr.php, it takes you to a fake page that carries malware type virus called:- HTML:RedirME-inf [Trj] The main symptoms of this Trojan Horse have been reported as causing memory problems and website redirects when using the web. We did not do this so we cannot tell you what the page looks like, should you go onto it. The fake email can be seen in full by clicking on the image below as well as the source code for it. HMRC have told us that in September 2009, a record 83,000 phishing attempts were reported to HMRC. The following month, an unprecedented 10,000 reports of phishing scams were made known to HMRC on one day alone! This year it is thought that even more Phishing scams are being made, so be aware! HMRC said:- “We only ever contact customers who are due a refund in writing by post. We never use emails, telephone calls or external companies in these circumstances. We strongly urge anyone receiving such an email to send it to us for investigation before deleting it. HMRC thoroughly investigates these attacks and works with other law enforcement agencies in the UK and overseas. In the last year, scam networks have been shut down in a number of countries, specifically Austria, Mexico, the UK, Korea, the USA, Thailand and Japan."

HMRC strongly advises customers to:-

► Check the advice published on the HMRC website to see if the email you have received is listed

► Forward suspicious email to HMRC and then delete it from your computer/email account

► Do not click on websites, links contained in suspicious emails or open attachments

► Follow advice from:- getsafeonline.co.uk

If you have reason to believe that you have been the victim of an email scam, report the matter to your bank/card issuer as soon as possible. If in doubt, please check with HMRC at:- hmrc.gov.uk/security/fraud-attempts.htm.

Traditional Christmas Brass Band Concert with Christmas Market & Funfair, are you going?

HEADS up... Over 10 December 2010 to 11 December 2010 the Longton VM Sports & Social Club, School Lane, Longton (PR45YA) are holding a Christmas Market & Funfair. Friday Night's activities run from 17:30 to 21:30 and Saturday, all day from 10:00 to 21:00. Friday sees the start of our first annual Christmas Market & Funfair. There are stalls inside the club selling last minute gifts and irresistible food and drink. Genuine artists & crafters will tempt you with unique, hand crafted Christmas gifts for that last minute ‘just perfect’ present. Come and soak in the Christmas street market atmosphere whilst sipping warming mulled wine! Outside will be a fantastic Christmas Funfair for all the family with more Christmas wares and Hot Food available throughout. Santa coming... So why don't you. The club also has on Sunday, 12 December a Traditional Christmas Brass Band Concert. Band Concert Tickets are now on sale at the club (£5.00 members & £7.00 Guests) for our annual Christmas performance by Pemberton Old Wigan Band. Doors open 19:00 and the show will be in two halves, The first half starting around 19:30 will be Movie Themes and Pop Classics from The Bond Theme to Queens "Bohemian Rhapsody" then there will be a short intermission for drinks and mince pies (kindly supplied by Croft Bakery) with the second half being devoted to all the Christmas Classics. "Sadly due to spiralling costs this could be the last chance to enjoy this wonderful Christmas Concert at the club so please don't miss it." said Manager Andrew Worthington.

Vikings unveil 2011 ‘Away' kit
Image kindly supplied by Ste Jones.

ON Tuesday, 7 December 2010, Widnes Vikings unveiled their 2011 ‘Away' kit to a group of more than 100 invited guests, at the impressive James Edwards Land Rover showroom in Chester.

Manufactured by Irish sportswear company O'Neills, the all-new kit features the logo of each of the clubs' business partners:-

Stobart
Halton Borough Council
Charles Stanley Solicitors
DW Sports Fitness
JST Nutrition
James Edwards Land Rover
Medicash
personalinjury.co.uk
Tetley's
York Fitness

Plus, the official badge of the ‘Co-operative Championship' and the RFL's ‘Try Assist' logo.

Further to this, the initial batch of 2011 ‘Away’ kit has now arrived and is available to buy, alongside a whole host of other Vikings’ merchandise and products, at the O’Neills Retail Outlet situated on Liebig Court in Widnes, during the opening hours; Tuesday to Saturday: 9.00am to 5.00pm.

The prices are as follows...

Junior Shirts: Age 5-6 up to 13-14 = £30
Adult Shirts: Small to 5XL = £40
Junior Shorts: Age 7-8 up to 11-13 = £12
Adult Shorts: Small up to XXL = £15
Socks – Shoe Size 2-4 (Large Boys) = £6
Socks – Shoe Size 4-7 = £7