HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is urging Self-Assessment customers to be on the lookout for scam texts (smishing), emails (phishing), and phone calls (vishing) from fraudsters in the lead up to the 31 January 2024 deadline. The scams take different approaches. Some offer a tax rebate; others tell customers that they need to update their tax details or threaten immediate arrest for tax evasion.

What’s the difference?

• Phishing is a method that attempts to trick victims into clicking on fraudulent links in emails;
• Smishing is similar to phishing, except that it comes in the form of a text message;
• Vishing often pretend to be a legitimate company to solicit personal information from a victim.

What to do if you suspect a scam

An unexpected contact claiming to be from HMRC should always be viewed as suspicious. It’s always worth taking your time and checking the HMRC’s scam advice on how to identify tax scam phone calls, emails, and text messages. It includes some checklists and other signs to look out for.

You can report any suspicious communications to HMRC by:

• forwarding suspicious texts claiming to be from HMRC to 60599;
• forwarding emails to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk; and
• reporting tax scam phone calls to HMRC.

If you’d like some advice or guidance on completing your Self-Assessment, get in touch.