Tax Refund Scam

[goodgoalie]

Received an email today purporting to come from HM Revenue and Customs, saying 'your tax refund will be processed soon', with a long reference number. I'm not due any tax refund and didn't open it, but has anyone else received one of these emails?

[Captain2]

Yes, GG, many times. HMRC don't do anything by e-mail I think. Usual give away is 'refund of 285.46 pounds sterling' or something similar.
Trust you've binned it?

[Mamyalynne]

Lots, yes - delete.

[goodgoalie]

Yes, Cap'n, have deleted it. Only saw the first line as I use Hotmail, and in the Inbox you can read the first line of the email before you open it. Have been bothered with a few of these in the past months from 'Amazon Prime', 'iTunes' and 'PayPal', all saying they were processing something I'd ordered (I hadn't)

[johnk]

I have, there is an email address on the hmrc website for reporting these scams, I can't remember what it is but you just forward the email to them.

[ummmm]

Never open these emails. HMRC do things by snail mail.

[fiction-factory]

There should be several giveaways- such as they don't seem to know your name or refer to yourself by your email name- so "dear mr fiction-factory", there will be some strange wording that sounds as if it has gone through 3 languages on Google translate - something like"due to a review and utmost verification of your fiscal obligations it has been established beyond doubt that, " and if you hover over the sender's name or look at the mesage headers the actual senders name will not be HMRC.

I have had the occasonal email from HMRC but it always contains an identifying reference- name and part of NI number- and tells me to log on to my personal tax account (and not via ta link!)

[Peter Pedant]

yes and no
it is a scam
HMRC on their site - huge but it is somewhere
say they NEVER email things like this

deffo phishing scam - delete

[roopower]

I had a text message purporting to come from the tax people today. I know I am owed a little tax back - they've already told me by post!