HMRC scams warning as January deadline looms

Concerned customers have reported nearly 150,000 scam referrals to HMRC in the last year, as Self Assessment filers are being cautioned to stay vigilant against fraudsters.

With the deadline of 31 January 2025 looming for millions to complete their Self Assessment tax return and settle any taxes due, scammers are exploiting the situation with false promises of tax refunds or demanding tax payments to extract personal information and banking details. A significant number of these scams, about 71,832 in the past year, involved fake tax rebate claims.

The volume of scam referrals to HMRC has seen a 16.7% surge – with 144,298 reports received between November 2023 and October 2024, compared to 123,596 in the previous 12 months. Individuals who receive communications purporting to be from HMRC that request personal data or offer a tax rebate should consult the advice on GOV.UK to discern if it's a scam.

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HMRC has made it clear that they will never leave voicemails threatening legal action or arrest, nor will they ask for personal or financial details via text message – such tactics are the hallmarks of fraudsters and criminals.

Kelly Paterson, Chief Security Officer at HMRC, said: "With millions of people filing their Self Assessment return before January’s deadline, we’re warning everyone to be wary of emails promising tax refunds. Being vigilant helps you spot potential scams. And reporting anything suspicious helps us stop criminal activity and to protect you and others who could have received similar bogus communication."

"Our advice remains unchanged. Don’t rush into anything, take your time and check ‘HMRC scams advice’ on GOV.UK."

HMRC will not contact you by email, text, or phone to announce a refund or ask you to request one. Anyone who is due a refund from HMRC can claim it via their online HMRC account or the free and secure HMRC app.

You can report any phishing attempts to HMRC by forwarding emails to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk, reporting tax scam phone calls to HMRC on GOV. UK, or forwarding suspicious texts claiming to be from HMRC to 60599.