Taxpayers are being urged to stay vigilant this Christmas as scammers increasingly pose as HM Revenue & Customs, exploiting seasonal stress and financial pressures to trick people into handing over money or personal details.
According to leading audit, tax and business advisory firm Blick Rothenberg, fraudsters are already actively targeting individuals with convincing communications claiming to be from HMRC.
Fiona Fernie, a partner at Blick Rothenberg, said the festive period creates ideal conditions for scams to succeed.
“Scammers know that during the Christmas season people’s emotions and stress levels may be running high,” she said. “This makes it easier to take advantage of them, and scammers are already actively targeting people. A common scam is to pose as HMRC and offer a tax refund or threaten legal action because of an underpayment of tax.”
She explained that refund scams typically involve requests for bank details to process a supposed repayment, while threat-based scams often demand immediate payment online or over the phone to stop enforcement action.
Fernie said HMRC provides clear guidance to help taxpayers identify fraudulent communications. A message should be treated with suspicion if it:
• Rushes you to act quickly
• Uses threatening language
• Is unexpected
• Asks for personal or financial information
• Tells you to transfer money
• Offers a tax refund, rebate or grant
“One of the most powerful weapons people have against scammers is to slow down, stop and think,” she said. “If you receive a message suggesting you owe money or are due a refund, do not act on it, no matter how urgent it sounds. Verify it through genuine HMRC channels.”
She stressed that HMRC does not leave voicemails threatening arrest or immediate legal action, warning that any such message is almost certainly a scam.
While HMRC does use text messages to contact taxpayers in some circumstances, Fernie said these messages never ask for personal or financial details and do not include links requesting such information.
“Do not reply to any message or open any links that appear to be seeking personal or financial information,” she said. “Suspicious texts should be reported to 60599 or forwarded to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk.”
Fernie also warned about messages received via WhatsApp or social media. Tax-related reminders may only be sent through the official UK Government WhatsApp channel to users who have subscribed, and they will never ask for sensitive information.
“If a message contains links, allows replies, or comes through social media comments or direct messages, it is likely to be a scam,” she said. “HMRC will not use social media to discuss your tax affairs. If you receive such messages, report them and delete them immediately.”
With fraud attempts rising during the festive season, experts say a cautious approach and simple verification checks can prevent taxpayers from falling victim at an already financially demanding time of year.
