The world is full of scams and deceptions, which is a great shame but is also no different for tax rebates. There have been many reports recently of tax refund scams, and we’re taking a look at them in closer detail because we don’t want anyone to get caught up in a scam and lose their hard earned money.
What’s been going on regarding tax rebate scams?
It is becoming all too common now that people are being cheated out of their money by individuals who claim to be official government representatives, who then tell them that they are owed a tax rebate and that they can claim it. If they then hand over their details, they can be used for any number of nefarious and often illegal purposes, all of which will reflect poorly on you, despite the fact that you are an entirely innocent party.
How can I avoid this?
Obviously, this is not something you want to have to deal with at all, but there are ways to avoid it. If there is anything at all about the person on the phone which strikes you as being odd or suspicious, then do not give out details. A good way to try and establish if a caller is legitimate is to ask them to ring back during the day, and then check the government website to seek to establish if the number they have used is even vaguely similar to the ones that are used by official channels. More often than not, you’re dealing with someone who is a scammer. As previously stated, you should never give out personal details over the phone.
If you are concerned about tax rebate scams, then you should use a reputable source for all of your tax needs to avoid being tricked or lied to. We offer a full range of services and invite you to use them.
We’re sadly all too aware of the different schemes and cons which are out there and don’t want to see anyone get caught up in one and lose out. That’s why we would recommend using a company like ourselves, so you can deal with professional and honest people who aren’t going to try and take your money, and will instead just try and help you establish if you do in fact have a tax rebate that you can claim or not.
Ask questions and report spam
Overall, with the rise of these kinds of scams that aim to lie to people and extract personal information from them, we urge all of you to be very cautious when it comes to individuals who claim to be from the government.
Letting HMRC know about any suspicious emails, websites, or phone calls is a good idea. They can be reported by contacting HMRC directly by clicking this HMRC link.
In the event you are speaking to a legitimate person, they will understand if you are suspicious, and will do their best to try and prove to you that they are from the government.
