Posted on Monday 13th January 2025
Victoria Wilson
With thousands of workers in Staffordshire expected to submit online Self Assessment Tax Returns by 31 January, people are being urged to be wary of scams.
Criminals are using scam emails, texts, phone calls and even bogus websites to get their hands on people’s personal and financial details.
Now Trading Standards officers at Staffordshire County Council, along with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), are asking people to look out for typical scam approaches. These include an offer of a tax rebate, being asked to update your tax details, or a threat of immediate arrest for tax evasion.
Victoria Wilson, the Cabinet Member responsible for Trading Standards at Staffordshire County Council, said:
“These HMRC related scams are very common at this time of year and it’s important that people remain vigilant.
“These particular scams are where fraudsters try to dupe people by sending emails, phone calls and texts, which mimic government messages to make them appear authentic.
“While lots of scams can appear genuine, it’s easy to fall for them, so it’s important to stop and check carefully. And, if it is a scam, please report it to the relevant organisation and Citizens Advice.”
The warning comes as HMRC received more than 130,000 reports about tax scams in the year to September 2023. Almost 60,000 people were approached and offered fake tax rebates by fraudsters.
People should forward suspicious HMRC texts to 60599 and emails to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk.
People can also report other online scams to Citizens Advice or call 0808 223 1133.