Fake HMRC letters target small businesses

20 Aug 2024

HMRC recently issued an urgent scam alert following the circulation of a convincing scam letter.

The letter uses a font similar to that of HMRC's official communications, and asks the reader to verify their financial information.

The UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime, Action Fraud, also warned that scams are not exclusively postal – criminals use various methods to target their victims, including via phishing emails and other malicious communication.

A spokesperson for HMRC said: 'Criminals are great pretenders. They use various methods to try and dupe citizens and often mimic government messages to make them appear authentic.

'Tax scams come in many forms. Some offer a rebate, others tell you that your tax details are out of date, or threaten immediate arrest for tax evasion. Never let yourself be rushed. If someone contacts you saying they're HMRC, wanting you to urgently transfer money or give personal information, be on your guard. We will also never ring up threatening arrest.'

HMRC recommends taking your time and checking its scams advice page on the Gov.uk website.