HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has updated its guidance on the way it contacts customers to help them recognise “phishing” emails.
Phishing involves emailing someone in order to fraudulently obtain personal or financial information such as passwords and credit card or bank account details. The emails often include a link to a bogus website encouraging the recipient to enter their personal details.
The updated guidance, published on 24 April, explains how to recognise genuine contact from HMRC, and how to tell when an email is a fake.
HMRC stresses that it would never send notifications of a tax rebate by email or ask someone to disclose personal or payment information by email.
Link: The HMRC guidance
Link: How to report internet scams and phishing to HMRC