People filling out their tax returns are being warned to watch out for scams as the self-assessment deadline approaches.
Criminals are pretending to offer people tax refunds or phishing for personal information and banking details according to HM Revenue and Customs.
The warning comes as millions are completing their self-assessment tax return to pay any tax owed by the end of January next year.
HMRC said around half of scam reports in the past year involved fake tax rebate claims, an increase of 16.7 per cent, with 144,298 scam reports received between November 2023 and October 2024.
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.”
The body also emphasised that it would never leave voicemails threatening legal action or try to get personal or financial information through text messages.
A spokeswoman for HMRC added: “Criminals are cunning – protect your information and take a moment to think before parting with your money or information.
“Use strong and different passwords on all your accounts so criminals are less able to target you.”
If you are contacted by someone claiming to be from HMRC who is asking for personal information or offering a rebate, it’s important to check the advice on gov.uk.
Anyone who is due a refund from HMRC can claim it via their online HMRC account or the free and secure HMRC app.
Phishing attempts can be reported to HMRC by forwarding emails to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk, reporting tax scam phone calls to HMRC on gov.uk and forwarding suspect texts claiming to be from HMRC to 60599.