The tax rebate phishing scam has been around for a while – but has added impetus dues to the tax return deadline this weekend. Yes, I’ve paid mine and cleaned out my account…
Tens of thousands of fraudulent e-mails have been sent out ahead of Sunday’s tax return deadline, officials say.
Recipients are told they are due a tax refund and asked to fill in an online form with bank or credit card details.
I’m sorry, but is there anyone out there who isn’t aware that the revenue doesn’t operate this way? Just as banks don’t send out emails to individuals asking them to enter sensitive information, the revenue doesn’t send out emails telling you that you are due a rebate. If you deal with them online, you will know whether you are due a rebate because you can see it in the summary. If you have an accountant, they will tell you. Otherwise, hmrc will send a letter via snail mail. If you click on the link in the email and have your bank account emptied as a consequence, all I can say is Darwinism is working as expected.
You have to be really, really stupid to fall for a phishing scam – they aren’t exactly new and there are plenty of warnings out there.
No-one who has ever had any dealings with the Revenue would ever suspect them of admitting they owed you money.
Oh, they do. A couple of years back, I claimed most of the tax on account back because my work dropped right off. I just went online and claimed. But, no, they don’t exactly go out of their way to volunteer it… 😉
“I’m sorry, but is there anyone out there who isn’t aware that the revenue doesn’t operate this way? “
Yes, clearly, or this would never work. And they wouldn’t do it if it didn’t work…
I was being rhetorical of course. Yes, there are very stupid people out there. If they are this stupid, they get what they deserve and I have no sympathy.