HMRC Tax Refund Scam
Fake HMRC messages offering tax refunds or threatening penalties
How this scam works
Fake HMRC messages claim you're owed a tax refund and need to provide bank details to receive it, or threaten penalties for unpaid tax. These phishing messages steal banking information or personal details.
HMRC communicates about tax through official letters and their secure online account, not via email or text links.
Warning signs
- ⚠️Unexpected tax refund notification
- ⚠️Link to claim refund doesn't match gov.uk
- ⚠️Requests bank details to "process refund"
- ⚠️Threats of penalties or legal action
- ⚠️Creates urgency to claim before deadline
- ⚠️Uses generic greeting ("Dear Taxpayer")
Real examples
“HMRC: You are eligible for a tax refund of £847.20. Claim now before it expires: hmrc-refund-claim.co.uk”
Fake domain. HMRC uses gov.uk and never sends refund links via text.
“HMRC Notice: You have an outstanding tax bill of £1,200. Pay within 48 hours to avoid court action: hmrc-payment.com”
Fake domain and threatening deadline. HMRC sends official letters for tax debts.
What to do
- ✓HMRC doesn't send refund claims via email or text
- ✓Check your tax status through your Government Gateway account
- ✓Never click links claiming to be from HMRC
- ✓Forward suspicious HMRC emails to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk
- ✓Report to Action Fraud
Related patterns
IRS & Tax Scam
Scammers impersonate the IRS threatening arrest for unpaid taxes
“IRS Notice: You owe $4,389 in unpaid taxes. Failure to pay will result in arrest”
Account Suspension Scam
Fake alerts claiming your account will be suspended unless you verify
“Your PayPal account has been limited due to suspicious activity”