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Text message from HMRC about tax refund? |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: West Midlands
Posts: 2,450
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Text message from HMRC about tax refund?
Just received this text message "You have a pending tax refund of 265.84GBP to claim please complete form on our secure link.Your bank may require extra verification".
Does this sound dodgy or not? I mean it says HMRC at the top of the screen or does this not mean anything? Obviously I'm not entering any bank details willy nilly! Thought about ringing my bank and asking them. Don't want to ignore it if it's legit and I've got £265 being returned to me! EDIT: link seems to be dead? |
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#2 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: London
Posts: 7,514
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Yes. See hmrc advice https://www.gov.uk/report-suspicious...sites-phishing
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Cheltenham, Glos.
Posts: 540
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Think...do you REALLY believe that HMRC would send you a text? Don't click on the link either...ooops...
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#4 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: London
Posts: 24,677
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And the OP has clicked the link too....oh dear
HMRC would never send you a text message about a tax rebate, they will always put it in writing. |
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#5 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Reading
Posts: 27,902
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Quote:
Just received this text message "You have a pending tax refund of 265.84GBP to claim please complete form on our secure link.Your bank may require extra verification".
Does this sound dodgy or not? I mean it says HMRC at the top of the screen or does this not mean anything? Obviously I'm not entering any bank details willy nilly! Thought about ringing my bank and asking them. Don't want to ignore it if it's legit and I've got £265 being returned to me! EDIT: link seems to be dead? The ONLY way HMRC will inform you of anything involving a rebate is in writing on one of those old fashioned things called a "a letter" shoved through your door by Postman Pat (black & white cat optional). You will never ever receive anything from HMRC via text or e-mail. So anything you do get via those services is always going to be a scam and should be treated with the contempt it deserves. And you should certainly never be following any links or calling any phone numbers in the message. See section 2.2 of this https://www.gov.uk/government/public...hishing-emails |
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#6 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Oxford
Posts: 5,305
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Quote:
EDIT: link seems to be dead?
That's your phone number and your IP address on a definitive "suckers list"... |
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#7 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Folkestone
Posts: 1,648
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If you think logically, ask yourself, how would HMRC have your mobile number to text you.
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#8 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: North Devon
Posts: 12,642
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HMRC have millions of mobile numbers. Anyone who has an online tax account now has to provide one as part of their enhanced security procedures. This is quite clearly scam obviously. However it is no longer true to say that HMRC will not contact you by email or text. They will do in certain cases. It does make it a bit more difficult as you could once dismiss anything like this automatically.
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#9 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 6,798
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I can't believe people have to actually ask if this is a scam or not.
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#10 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: North Devon
Posts: 12,642
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Believe me I've had many clients ask this. None yet did anything without asking first though.
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#11 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 159
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Oooops, that will explain why my bank account has been cleared then.
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#12 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: North Devon
Posts: 12,642
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I had a client who was convinced he had won the Spanish Lottery as well. Just asked him when he entered it.......
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#13 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 896
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Quote:
If you think logically, ask yourself, how would HMRC have your mobile number to text you.
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#14 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,020
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My husband got 20 emails in a week last month purporting to be from HMRC, offering a tax rebate if he just filled in all his bank details etc.....
HMRC confirmed to us then that they only ever write, never email or text. |
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#15 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,020
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Quote:
As they need it for the two stage sign in for the Government gateway when they send you a code. gov.uk
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#16 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: North Devon
Posts: 12,642
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Sorry Hilary you are wrong on both counts. HMRC DO now use the text and emails. I had one client deal with a whole lengthy enquiry purely via email. They do now require mobile numbers since the middle of this year. It used to be voluntary but not any more. Doesn't actually have to be a mobile it can be a landline if you wish. Email isn't common but it can be done as I have done it.
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#17 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 11,776
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Quote:
I had a client who was convinced he had won the Spanish Lottery as well. Just asked him when he entered it.......
OP you need to ditch your phone, clicking on the link is what they want and you've already given them your details by falling for it (sorry). |
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#18 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: North Devon
Posts: 12,642
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Yep, and now spear phishing is around as well. These can be incredibly convincing as they can be extremely personalised to the extent of including items be you'd think others wouldn't know. One lady was taken n as they got one with her address spelt in a particular way which was not the official one as such. The amount of information they can get about you is pretty amazing even if you think you are careful.
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#19 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: West Midlands
Posts: 2,450
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Quote:
And the OP has clicked the link too....oh dear
HMRC would never send you a text message about a tax rebate, they will always put it in writing. EDIT. Just had a quick google search, apparently the way it works is, when you get the text you click the link and it takes you to a spoof HMRC website that looks identical to the real one, and then it asks for your details etc. Well I didn't get that far as the site didn't open, maybe it was blocked as I'm using "Ad blocker" on my phone. From the website: "In the messages, fraudsters tell people they are in line for a tax rebate. It asks them to click on a link which takes them through to a cloned replica of HMRC's website, where they are told to enter their credit or debit card details. The fraudsters use these details to empty people's accounts, before selling on their personal information to other criminals." |
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#20 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Crosby
Posts: 1,650
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How anyone, in this day and age, can be so naive about such things is beyond me.
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#21 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 11,776
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Quote:
How anyone, in this day and age, can be so naive about such things is beyond me.
1) Not everyone engages with media on a daily basis that contains or reports on scams. 2) Scams evolve all the time and unless you have a scam aware mindset it's easy to fall prey. Many years ago I worked for the OFT and my sole job was working on one type of scam. It was really sad sometimes seeing families who found rooms full of tat from scammers after their relatives died. Not everyone has friends and relatives to call in on them and sit around chatting about anything and nothing. That's the real key to reducing vulnerability to scams. And a mindset that isn't too into material goods is a protective factor. |
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#22 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 5,846
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This one's doing the rounds and is a scam. My son got stung and started noticing strange withdrawals from his bank account. Luckily he realised quickly and the bank stopped his card. If it IS HMRC they'd write.
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#23 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: colchester
Posts: 15,350
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Quote:
So what if I clicked it?? How on earth can someone "steal" my money from my bank account just by clicking a link on my phone? I haven't/wouldn't ever enter my bank details, I just simply wanted to see what loaded up when I clicked it. It wasn't actually a link it just said "tap here to preview" I tapped it then a separate window popped up. But yeah I never entered any details.
EDIT. Just had a quick google search, apparently the way it works is, when you get the text you click the link and it takes you to a spoof HMRC website that looks identical to the real one, and then it asks for your details etc. Well I didn't get that far as the site didn't open, maybe it was blocked as I'm using "Ad blocker" on my phone. From the website: "In the messages, fraudsters tell people they are in line for a tax rebate. It asks them to click on a link which takes them through to a cloned replica of HMRC's website, where they are told to enter their credit or debit card details. The fraudsters use these details to empty people's accounts, before selling on their personal information to other criminals." Might be worth using a call blocker app and SMS blocker from now on. |
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#24 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Oxford
Posts: 5,305
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Quote:
EDIT. Just had a quick google search, apparently the way it works is, when you get the text you click the link and it takes you to a spoof HMRC website that looks identical to the real one, and then it asks for your details etc. Well I didn't get that far as the site didn't open, maybe it was blocked as I'm using "Ad blocker" on my phone.
They have now recorded that you have a sub-prime ability to identify deceitful activities and flagged you as a suitable candidate for more focused campaign. If you didn't initiate it, don't believe it. |
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#25 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: London
Posts: 24,677
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Quote:
So what if I clicked it??
EDIT. Just had a quick google search, apparently the way it works is, when you get the text you click the link and it takes you to a spoof HMRC website that looks identical to the real one, and then it asks for your details etc. Well I didn't get that far as the site didn't open, maybe it was blocked as I'm using "Ad blocker" on my phone. |
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