Beware of fake HM Revenue website

[mhku]

Criminals have hijacked Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs by setting up a fake website in its name, designed to harvest taxpayers’ personal details for fraud.

Emails purporting to come from HMRC, from genuine-looking addresses like ‘no-reply @ hmrc.gsi.gov.uk’, arrive in user inboxes and direct them to the spoof via a link.

Both the site and the mails, claiming to be a reminder to file returns or claim rebates, use the same graphics and fonts as the real ‘hmrc.gov.uk,’ and sport its official logo.

Correctly-spelt captions on data fields on the landing page of the site, which HMRC is aware of, invite taxpayers to insert their name, home address and credit card details.

Tax officials yesterday said they would never inform customers of a rebate via email, or invite them to complete an online form with their credit card details to receive it.

The ruse, then, seems likelier to fool self-assessors, aware that HMRC gears up its publicity at this time of the year to remind them not to miss the filing deadline.

Victims of either scam, both of which land taxpayers on the same site, may not know their accounts have been raided until their bank alerts them, potentially weeks after.

One sign however that the site is not what it seems, comes when taxpayers are redirected to HMRC’s real website, having already inputted their personal details.

In an online security alert, HMRC said it never emails from the addresses used, including ‘info @ hmrc.gsi.gov.uk,’ ‘claims @ hmrc.direct.gov.uk,’ and ‘admin @ hmrc.gsi.gov.uk.’


Jan 8, 2009

src: contractoruk.com/news/004142.html

[guest]

Just as well I don't pay Tax any more then!

[coloured pony]

Now listen here Rai, thou dost pay tax to his Lordship Mandy.

Every penny spent on Sat Goodies means 15%, unless of course
you pay by cash like me, and do not forget what swmbos car runs on.

Anyhow sign of the times, called in to Maplin today,time to kill while my swmbo was in pound stretcher next door, all the sat boxes are now behind glass, so my amusement was curtailed. all of them had a two pronged elec lead(no earth) strange one thought for 230 volt stuff.I know my sony 711 has this hidden in a 13 amp plug,but the yankie
two pin system on display is a turnoff.

They have the new Comag HD kit in a box 60cm dish etc £144,however
all the other stuff looked,well crap.And overpriced.

I must be a dying breed(got that right) 29inch Sony CRT bought 20 years ago
perfect pics, comag silvercreast, I think ill wait for the new Sony LCD system
when it drops down to £50 in a years time for a 32 inch

Bob

[mhku]

The article is about pay Income Tax not VAT.

And please don't hijack threads with content not relevant to the thread.