Lambert Chapman LLP’s Lisa Potter warns of bogus emails relating to tax refunds
Over the last couple of weeks I have been inundated with emails forwarded to me from clients regarding a potential tax refund and asking for a form to be completed and submitted. Please be warned THIS IS A HOAX. The revenue do not ask for refund confirmation via email and therefore do not be tempted to respond. As best practice any emails requesting bank details including account number and sort code should be approached with extreme caution and you should contact the sender direct to provide the details over the phone, once you are satisfied it is a bona fide request.
If in any doubt please contact your Accountant as they will be able to inform you if a refund is really due from HM Revenue & Customs and the correct way to go about obtaining it.
Detailed below is the exact content of an email sent out to a client, please note that the spelling mistakes are genuine.
Subject: Please Submit Your Payment Refund.
Dear Applicant:
We have reviwed your tax return and our calculations of your last years accounts a tax refund of 178.25 is due Please submit the tax refund request and allow us 3-6 days in order to process it.
A refund can be delayed for a variety of reasons.
For example submitting invalid records or applying after the deadline.
Please submit the form attached to your email in order to complete your tax refund
Best Regards,
HM Revenue & Customs
© Copyright 2009, HM Revenue & Customs UK All rights reserved.
TAX REFUND ID: A29R119
The tell tale signs that this is a bogus email are:
1. The email is from customers@HRMC (not HMRC) a subtle difference that can be enough to fool some people.
2. The revenue rarely finish correspondence with ‘best regards’
3. The revenue rarely make spelling and grammatical mistakes within their correspondence
4. Revenue reference numbers are nearly always your 10 digit tax reference, if in doubt your Accountant can confirm.
Date:11 November 2009
Lambert Chapman LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales under registered number OC328593. The Registered Office is 3 Warners Mill, Silks Way Braintree, Essex CM7 3GB. Partner denotes member of the LLP.
Registered to carry on audit work and regulated for a range of investment business activities by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
Registered with the Chartered Institute of Taxation as a firm of Chartered Tax Advisors
