HMRC tax refund scam
A text, email, or call claims HMRC owes you a refund and asks you to click a link and enter bank or card details to 'claim' it.
“HMRC: You are due a tax refund of £278.40. Claim now before it expires: http://hmrc-refund-claim.co/gov”
How it works
Fraudsters impersonate HMRC with the promise of money owed to you — a powerful hook. The link leads to a fake gov.uk-style page asking for your bank details, card number, and personal information, which are then used for theft or sold on.
Warning signs
- An unexpected message promising a tax refund
- A link that isn't on the official gov.uk domain
- Requests for bank, card, or login details to 'receive' money
- Urgency such as 'claim within 24 hours or lose your refund'
- Poor grammar or a generic greeting like 'Dear customer'
What to do
- Never enter details from a link in the message
- Log in to your HMRC account directly via gov.uk to check
- Forward suspicious texts to 60599 and emails to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk
- Report it to Action Fraud if you've lost money
Frequently asked questions
- Does HMRC text or email about refunds?
- HMRC does not notify you of refunds, or ask for personal or payment details, by text or email. Genuine refunds appear in your online HMRC account or are sent automatically.