{"id":48950,"date":"2014-10-20T09:30:00","date_gmt":"2014-10-20T09:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=2177a397a6b37475c252dfbf6ef73787"},"modified":"2014-10-20T09:30:00","modified_gmt":"2014-10-20T09:30:00","slug":"news-story-gone-phishing-75000-fake-tax-refund-emails-reported","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=48950","title":{"rendered":"News story: Gone phishing \u2013 75,000 fake tax refund emails reported"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Some 74,743 scam emails were reported to HMRC<\/abbr>\u2019s dedicated phishing email account between April and September \u2013 a 70% increase on the same period in 2013. Over the same six-month period, HMRC<\/abbr> worked with other law enforcement agencies to help close down more than 4,000 websites responsible for sending out the emails.<\/p>\n

The emails promise a tax refund, and often ask for a recipient\u2019s name, address, date of birth, bank and credit card details \u2013 including passwords and their mother\u2019s maiden name. Once the victim has provided the information, money is stolen from their bank account and their details are sold on to other criminal gangs, which can lead to identity theft.<\/p>\n

Steve Singh, Deputy Head of Operations, HMRC<\/abbr> Digital Security, said:<\/p>\n

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HMRC<\/abbr> never contacts customers who are due a tax refund by email \u2013 we always send a letter through the post.<\/p>\n

If you receive an email which claims to be from HMRC<\/abbr>, and which offers you a tax refund, we recommend you send it to phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk and then permanently delete it. We can, and do, close these websites down and we continue our efforts to work with law enforcement agencies around the world to bring down the criminals behind these scams.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

HMRC<\/abbr> asks people to: <\/p>\n