Spotting HMRC fakes
As we know fraud is a growing problem and it is now relatively common to be sent fake correspondence from HMRC whether in the form of letters, email or text.
Given that the production of these fakes is often quite sophisticated we give recommendations for spotting them.
DEMANDS FOR URGENT ACTION
Fraudsters pray on fear, so any letter that strikes fear in you and demands urgent action should be treated with suspicion.
HMRC will never demand immediate payment as a first letter, they will always ask you to contact them.
REQUESTS FOR BANK DETAILS
Beware anything asking you for bank details or to use a new HMRC bank account.
Dear SIR or Madam
HMRC will have your name on their database, you will never be addressed as Sir or Madam or ‘To whom it may concern’.
Addresses and contact details
You may be able to spot a fake if your name or address is not correct. In emails the fact that an ‘@…….hmrc.gov.uk’ email tail is used is not a sure sign it is from HMRC since it is possible to spoof ‘from’ email addresses. A better clue is the email tail that you are invited to respond to or the URL of the web page you are being asked to visit. All official email addresses and URLs end .gov.uk.
For phone numbers, check you can find them listed on a .gov.uk page.
Poor quality
Poorly quality logos or grammar can also be another signal.
If in doubt check
If in doubt about the legitimacy of any correspondence, either call a HMRC helpline (using a number taken from HMRC’s own webpages) or if a client of Co- Accounting, send it to us to review.
