Warning HMRC fake emails doing rounds again
YET another day and yet another email doing the rounds. Phishing emails and bogus HM Revenue and Customs are getting to be a normal sight in most people's Spam Boxes, but some do get through. Sadly, many people still fall for these emails and it is extremely important to be cautious of attachments on any emails that you have not requested, not just ones like this. Links and files, including images could contain viruses designed to steal your personal information, so always delete them if you get any that you can't confirm are genuine. Some websites can look like they're part of an official Government service or that they provide more help than they actually do. With the Tax emails, please also take note that lately they are often showing up as .gov email addresses; in the 'From' address box; so our advice is don't open any of them. This latest email we spotted starts off saying:- "After the last annual calculations of your fiscal activity, we have determined that you are eligible to receive a Tax Refund of £1,279.88 GBP. Please complete the Electronic Identity Verification Process and submit the Tax Refund Request and allow 3-5 working days for your refund to be processed." This email also carries a header that is the HMRC logo, hosted on a website called:- postimage.org. We have seen many emails of late that do this, so we would recommend setting in your filter, a block on emails that carry images from postimage.org. Also, if you get an email that could be a phishing/bogus email related to HMRC, or you're not sure if it's genuine, please forward any suspicious emails to:- phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk. Contact HMRC at:- security.custcon@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk, if you think you've given any personal information in reply to a suspicious email or text. Plus for more help and to report other scams via email, phone, txt or mail, contact Action Fraud on:- 0300 123 20 40.
