Is it really HMRC contacting you or a scam?

As tax season starts up this year, none of us want to find ourselves on the wrong side of HMRC. So, it’s natural to want to act fast when you get a phone call or text claiming to be from HMRC informing you of some unpaid sum.

Scammers often use tax season to manipulate people into revealing their bank account details under the ruse of HMRC, because they know that the system is complex and anxiety-inducing for people.

But how are you supposed to know if you’re being scammed, or if HMRC really does need something for you? It can be hard to work out. But being aware of the main ways HMRC will contact you and common schemes that scammers use, as well as taking a few key precautions can help.

What HMRC scams are common?  

HMRC keeps a list of some of the most common scams that are being used to help you identify if the communication is real or fake. Some of the quick tells are if HMRC reaches out to you by social media direct message (this is never used for HMRC communications) or by WhatsApp (the only communication used here is occasional tax-related reminders that you cannot reply to).  

A popular scam that comes up this time of year is a text notification of a tax rebate, along with a link to claim that rebate. HMRC won’t contact you by text about a rebate, it will email you to claim one. If you received an email communication about a rebate, you’ll need to ensure it is from an email address ending in “@hmrc.gov.uk”. If it doesn’t it is almost certainly a scam.  

Phone calls claiming to be from HMRC can also often be scams. Currently, scammers are often calling to say that HMRC is filing a lawsuit against you, and to press 1 to make a payment to avoid the lawsuit. This is a scam, and it’s best to hang up.

You can view other common scams involving HMRC here.  

Spotting a scam

Scammers typically like to play on a few elements of human nature when they reach out. They will likely either try to scare you (for example, by saying you are being sued) or offer something appealing (like a tax rebate). On the phone, another important element is time. Scammers want the transaction to happen as quickly as possible, before you have time to realise something seems wrong. If you think you might be facing a scam, here are five steps to take:

1. Take a beat: Even though a scammer may be trying to rush you, take your time so you can make measured decisions.
2. Check the credentials: If you’ve received a communication by email, one of the easiest ways to spot a scam is looking at the email address. Go through it letter by letter (also checking punctuation) to make sure that it is from HMRC. Again, the correct email address ending would be “@hmrc.gov.uk”. Make sure there’s nothing before or after that. If there’s a link it is asking you to click on, do this same thing with the link. It will only take you to an official HMRC website, but you need to check the URL specifically because scammers can design other websites to match the style of HMRC. If this information is not correct, it is a scam.  
3. Look for red flags: Is HMRC asking you for bank or credit card information? Are you under a time pressure? These are not typically ways that HMRC operates, so it’s likely this is a scam.  
4. Go to HMRC’s website yourself: If you are contacted by HMRC, and you aren’t sure it’s legitimate, one of the most full-proof ways to protecting yourself is to not take any further action through that communication, and instead go to HMRC’s website yourself. If you prefer phone communication, you can find contact information here.  
5. If you decide that you have been contacted as a scam, you can help others by reporting it to HMRC. They can then add your report to their list of scams for others to watch out for. 

How HMRC might actually contact you

You may be contacted by HMRC through email, phone call, text, or letter. But most HMRC communications won’t be asking you to take further action, they’ll just be informing you of deadlines or other developments.  

However, HMRC is making phone calls about debt management. These will be voice prompts that tell you details on how to pay HMRC or include a help line. Importantly, these messages will not be asking you to pay over the phone or give other personal or financial information. This is a sign of a scam. You can see what phone call communications HMRC are engaging in now here to help you determine if your call was genuine.

It’s very rare that HMRC will ask you to update your bank details through any form of communication. One situation where this may happen is Help to Save, a type of savings account geared towards those on Universal Credit. HMRC is unable to pay into the account if details are incorrect and may contact you asking to change them. Even in that case, they will ask you to enter your account and change the details, and it is smart to contact the Help to Save helpline first to ensure the request came from them.