With scammers becoming increasingly sophisticated, likely helped by the rise of technology and artificial intelligence, the risks for individuals and businesses falling victim to a scam has arguably never been higher.

We’ve seen a recent example of a letter received by a business which purports to be from HMRC. In the letter, it requested the business submit various documents, including bank statements, to “ensure compliance and transparency” in its financial declarations. The letter went on to state that the purpose of the letter was to “identify businesses that are not declaring their full income and to prevent tax evasion and tax fraud”.

However, HMRC confirmed it did not issue the letter, and it is in fact a scam. Tax scams can come in many forms; some offer a rebate, others tell you that your tax details are out of date or threaten immediate arrest for tax evasion. The primary intention behind scams is to extract sensitive information from the recipients, which can then be used for various fraudulent purposes.

Scammers often create a sense of urgency and panic, compelling businesses and individuals to provide personal and financial information that can be exploited for identity theft. Scammers have been known to primarily target individual taxpayers. However, this particular scam highlights the need for businesses to take care too.

HMRC offers the following advice to help taxpayers avoid falling victim to a scam.

You should remember to:

Protect

• Criminals are cunning – protect your information.
• Take a moment to think before parting with your money or information.
• Use strong and different passwords on all your accounts so criminals are less able to target you.

Recognise

• If a phone call, text or email is suspicious or unexpected, don’t give out private information or reply, and don’t download attachments or click on links.
• Check on GOV.UK that the contact is genuinely from HMRC.
• Do not trust caller ID on phones. Numbers can be spoofed.

Report

• If you’re unsure about a text claiming to be from HMRC forward it to 60599, or an email to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk. Report a tax scam phone call on GOV.UK.
• Contact your bank immediately if you’ve had money stolen, and report it to Action Fraud. In Scotland, contact the police on 101.
• By reporting phishing emails, you help stop criminal activity and prevent other people falling victim.

These scams could be targeted towards both individuals and businesses, so it’s essential that taxpayers remain vigilant, and caution is taken when receiving correspondence relating to their tax affairs. Where possible, it’s encouraged that taxpayers verify the authenticity of any communication claiming to be from HMRC.

When asked for a quote in response to the scam, a spokesperson for HMRC said: “Criminals are great pretenders. They use letters, emails, phone calls and texts to try and dupe citizens, and often mimic government messages to make them appear authentic.

“Unexpected contacts like these should set alarm bells ringing, so take your time and check HMRC scams advice on GOV.UK.”