HMRC has warned UK taxpayers working on their Self Assessment filings that it has already received tens of thousands of reports related to suspected scams.
The UK tax office revealed that it received more than 135,500 reports since February 2025, including 4800 related to the Self Assessment system it uses to collect income tax from the British taxpayer. Not forgetting the deadline for Self Assessment filings is 31st January 2026.
These scammers use different methods to reach their potential victims via phone, email and text. HMRC urged customers to remain vigilant as scams are likely to increase as the deadline approaches.
It said fraudsters typically impersonate HMRC in these communications, often using classic pressure tactics, such as time pressure ‘this is urgent’, ‘apply now or miss out’ to socially engineer their victims into paying fictious bills, or else offering tax refunds which don’t exist.
The end goal is usually to steal taxpayers’ personal and financial information or trick them into installing malware on their device.
The tax office has already been forced to shutter 25,000 phishing websites and phone numbers linked to scams in the past 10 months alone.
“Millions of people file a tax return each year and scammers mimic HMRC to try and catch unsuspecting victims out,” warned HMRC CSO, Lucy Pike.
“I’m urging people to stay vigilant and if any emails, text messages or phone calls appear suspicious – don’t be lured into clicking on links or sharing your personal information – report it directly to HMRC. Just search ‘report an HMRC scam’ on GOV.UK to find out more.”
Also see: Phishing With AI Is A Serious Problem
HMRC Advise
HMRC reminded taxpayers it would never leave threatening voicemails, ask for personal or financial information via text/email, or ask individuals to claim a refund via email/text/phone.
It urged them to:
- Protect their personal information by thinking twice before handing it over and using strong, unique passwords on all accounts
- Recognise the tell-tale signs of a scam and refuse to reply to fraudulent messages or click on links/open attachments. They should also not trust caller ID as this can be spoofed
- Report any scams by forwarding suspect emails to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and phone calls to GOV.UK. If money is stolen they should report it to their bank immediately as well as Report Fraud
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Fraudsters may well use multiple channels to increases their chances of success – such as sending an email and then following up with a vishing phone call, Cooke warned.
These lowlife scammers are persistent and will push you into giving them your details with a sense of urgency. Please heed the HMRC advice and don’t become another one of their victims.
Also see: Are My emails Protected?
Opinion
Nothing is sacred anymore, scamming lowlifes will see an opportunity like this one and capitalise on it. After all it is the establishment therefore it carries more weight as well as a sense of urgency to potential victims of their disgusting crimes. Don’t ever assume just because the HMRC are the subject of the message means you can trust it, if in doubt check.
