Ross Hussey, Ulster Unionist Party MLA for West Tyrone, has warned people to be very wary of e-mails in circulation, purporting to be from Government Tax Offices claiming that they are due a tax refund.
Mr Hussey said:
“With the deadline for the submission for online tax returns having just passed on 31st of January, the scammers are out in force. My office has been contacted by a number of constituents who have received e-mails purporting to be from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, and also Irish Tax and Customs seeking the completion of an online form to claim a tax rebate.
“By making a simple check with the relevant Tax office my office has quickly confirmed that this is a scam. People should be aware that by completing the online form they will be releasing confidential financial details to strangers.
“My advice is if you receive a suspicious e-mail, do not click on the attachment or reply to it. If an unsolicited e-mail purports to be from a bank, the tax office or any other institution, it is always advisable to ring them first to make sure they actually sent you something. Anyone who is actually awaiting a tax refund should contact their local Revenue Office to check its status.
“HMRC have told me that they never send notifications of a tax rebate, or ask you to disclose personal or payment information by email.If received forward the dodgy email to HMRC at phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk and then delete it. Similarly, the Irish Tax and Customs email in the current scam comes from a domain registered in the USA. If in doubt forward the e mail to webmaster@revenue.ie and then delete the e-mail.”