MSE news: Don't get conned by the fake tax rebate email

Former_MSE_Guy

This is the discussion thread for the following MSE News Story:

"A spam email from fraudsters purporting to be from HM Revenue and Customs offering a tax rebate is currently doing the rounds.

If you get the email, the advice is simple: do not open it. If you open it by mistake, do not click on the link or disclose any personal details ..."

Read the full story:
Don't get conned by the fake tax rebate email

Note: This thread is to discuss the news story. There is already a thread discussing the fake email here: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1816003&highlight=hmrc

RHolbach

Hello

I did not get the email, but I found myself having a "Tax Rebate Calculator" application in my Facebook profile recently (under "recently used applications"). The only problem: I'd never installed or selected or interacted with it, as far as I remember. I deleted and blocked and reported the app, but I don't know whether Facebook have acted on it yet.

Thanks

Robert

ADDENDUM: The app did mention something about students specifically in its descriptive text, something about part-time work and being eligible for a refund. It seemed to be targeted at young people more than self-employed people.

g6zru

I got this email some months ago but I suspect that it is the same again. It was VERY convincing and looked like an official message. We were suspicious when it started asking about bank details for a repayment of overpaid tax so my wife phoned HMRC.
At that time they hadn't been made aware of it so asked us to send them a copy.

Fred

peeweeel

Having just dealt with HMRC about a rebate on my late wife's tax, I was immediately suspicious when I got the email. HMRC don't use jargon like fiscal these days. They use remarkably plain language such as "your tax position". They also sign with an individual's name.

stormysky

I have got these "scam" emails from the tax people also, I have received about 2 so far, but thankfully was very suspicious and deleted them immediately without opening the attachment!!!
:eek:

sunny427

I got the same email and clicked on link
luckily I got an error message
When I looked at the To: address you could tell it was fake
Just wondering how many gullible people have been victims

karenrel

I got this email yesterday and stupidly opened it but thankfully didn't click on the link.

BobbinAlong

I use Mailwasher Free from http://www.mailwasher.net which lets you preview the mail on the server and lets you see the complete header. I got at least one of these emails and could see by the header that it was from another email address so I was able to mark it as spam immediately.
I think it was this forum that led me to mailwasher, it's excellent and FREE. You see the mail and can mark spam then process the mail which gets rid of spam and lets you download the good stuff to your outlook or whatever.

ladygea2001

Had this email a couple of days ago. I knew it was a scam as I only had a tax rebate last month - and that info came through the post and I was paid by cheque!

oscarhugo

These fakes should be fairly easy to spot - because neither of them USES YOUR NAME when they are addressing you. Just like all the other scam e-mails I get all the time. And isn't it funny how both of them make the same spelling mistake (spelling mistakes, as we all know, are a real giveaway) by talking about "calculating you tax refund" instead of your refund...?

Giulliana

ladygea2001 wrote: »

Had this email a couple of days ago. I knew it was a scam as I only had a tax rebate last month - and that info came through the post and I was paid by cheque!

Me too, I had such a hassle getting the paperwork together, I knew there wasn't any more to come.:D