HMRC has warned Lanarkshire residents to be on the lookout for con artists after it received more than 670,000 calls from people reporting tax scams last year.
Despite a significant drop in reports to HMRC in recent months, statistics show that tax-related scams doubled during the pandemic and the organisation is still advising caution of any correspondence - especially via text or email - implying it is from the tax authority.
There have also been scams using WhatsApp, with HMRC saying it never uses that particular messaging platform to contact customers about a tax refund.
The organisation has also revealed that undergraduates taking part-time jobs are at increased risk of falling victim to scams - particularly if they are new to interacting with the tax authority and unfamiliar with its processes.
Between April and May 2021, more than 5000 phone scams were reported to HMRC by 18 to 24-year-olds, with its advice is to "be wary if you are contacted out of the blue by someone asking for money or personal information"
One of the most recent social media scams being used to con people is the distribution of direct messages via Twitter offering a tax refund.
These messages aren't genuine and HMRC will never use social media platforms, such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn, to offer tax rebates or request personal information.
Ignore all such messages and report them to HMRC straight away..
Mike Fell, head of cyber security operations for HMRC, told Lanarkshire Live : “We see high numbers of fraudsters contacting people claiming to be from HMRC.
“If in doubt, our advice is do not reply directly to anything suspicious, but contact HMRC through GOV.UK straight away and search GOV.UK for ‘HMRC scams’.”
For further information and guidance about HMRC phishing scams, visit here.
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