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Fraudsters are posing as tax agents to defraud HMRC of millions of pounds.
The criminals are using confidential details – including unique taxpayer references – stolen from a small number of hacked computers to submit tax refund claims on behalf on non-existent business clients.
In response to this illegal activity, the Revenue has moved to assure taxpayers that its online systems ‘remain safe and secure’. The department added that it is ‘working closely with the people affected and the police to tackle the threat of this kind of organised e-crime’.
In the meantime, taxpayers and agents advised to take ‘extra care to protect their IT systems’ through measures such as the use of anti-virus and anti-spyware software.
The Revenue is frequently the target of e-criminals seeking to defraud the department and taxpayers. Phishing scams, in which fraudsters pose as the taxman via counterfeit emails and websites to gather unsuspecting individuals’ tax information, are common.
HMRC warns that fake sites will not feature the padlock symbol and https URL prefix found in browsers connected to legitimate online offerings.
The department never asks for PINs and suchlike via email, and all messages are addressed personally to recipients, while bogus emails are usually not.
Non-existent department names – a full list of which can be found here - may also be used by the conmen.
The Revenue asks that any suspicious activity regarding online accounts is reported immediately to the department: phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk.
'It is good to see HMRC being so proactive about this issue,' said Chas Roy-Chowdhury, head of global taxation at the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants.
