Taxpayers targeted by Revenue scam

By The Newsroom
Published 27th Sep 2011, 21:17 BST
Taxpayers have been warned to be on the alert for e-mails claiming to be from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) telling them they are due a tax rebate.

The e-mails ask recipients for their credit or debit card details so HMRC could make a repayment, with 24,000 being reported in August alone. The e-mails feature a link to a convincing replica of the HMRC website. Card details are used to access accounts and often passed to other organised crime gangs, according to HMRC, which said it was shutting down about 100 scam websites each month.

Anyone receiving e-mails purporting to be from HMRC should forward them to [email protected].