Fraudsters pose as taxman to target victims and raid bank accounts What to look for | Personal Finance | Finance [Video]

Lorraine: Expert details latest HMRC scams

Britons have been warned to be wary of fraudsters who target individuals with bogus tax refund offers.

Scam messages appear to come from the HMRC and are generally in the form of texts, WhatsApps and emails.

The aim is to fool victims into linking to bogus websites or fake call centres and then hand over their personal and financial information that can be used to steal their identities and, potentially, raid bank accounts.

The criminals impersonating HMRC will send a text saying you’re due a tax refund, which might be for a relatively small amount.

However, the idea of getting some money back from the taxman can be enough to encourage victims to click on an attached link.

The criminals impersonating HMRC will send a text saying you’re due a tax refund. (Image: Getty)

Once clicked on, this link connects you to a website or a so-called “call-handler”. The scamkicks in as …