Overview
- HMRC says it logged more than 135,500 suspected HMRC-related scams in the past 10 months, including about 4,800 tied to Self Assessment and roughly 29,000 bogus refund offers.
- The department reports it has closed nearly 25,000 fake websites and phone numbers over the same period as part of disruption efforts.
- Scammers mimic HMRC by email, text, calls or fake sites to demand payments or harvest bank details, often using threats or urgent refund claims.
- HMRC stresses it will not request personal or banking details by text or email or leave voicemails threatening arrest, and genuine refunds are accessed via the taxpayer’s HMRC account or app.
- Suspicious contacts should be reported by forwarding emails to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk, texting 60599, or using GOV.UK, with victims urged to contact their bank and the police.