Beware of scams during tax credit renewals season, urges HMRC

Tax credits claimants should be alert to potential scams HMRC has warned.

Anyone doing their tax credits renewal – packs should have been received by 4 June - who has received a tax or benefits scam email or text might be tricked into thinking it was from HMRC and share their personal details with criminals or transfer money for a bogus overpayment.

The public can check GOV.UK for HMRC’s scams checklist to find out how to report tax scams and for information on how to recognise genuine HMRC contact. In the 12 months to 30 April 2021 HMRC responded to more than 1 154 300 referrals of suspicious contact from the public. In the same period it worked with telecoms companies and Ofcom to remove more than 3 000 malicious telephone numbers and with internet service providers to take...