We are experiencing an increasing and worrying number of clients who have been subject to HMRC phishing emails and other scams.

Luckily when they have checked with us we have been able to advise them whether or not the contact appears to be genuine, or whether we think it is a bogus or phishing email and what to do next.

HMRC has now updated their guidance on how to recognise when contact from HMRC is genuine and how to recognise phishing or bogus emails and text messages.

Phishing is the fraudulent act of emailing a person in order to obtain their personal or financial information such as passwords and credit card or bank account details.

You can check if requests are genuine by asking the HMRC staff member to send an email while you are on the call to confirm their identity. Their email address should have their name and end in @hmrc.gsi.gov.uk

The guidance is broken down into four sections which cover the following:

1. A definitive list of digital (and other) contact issued from HMRC
   • if it’s not on this list, likelihood is that it’s a scam!
2. How to tell if an email is fraudulent
   • including but not limited to, checking the actual email address
3. HMRC text messages
4. How to report HMRC related phishing or other came / bogus emails

Follow the link below for the full guide:

Internet link: GOV.UK recognising phishing emails