HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has issued a warning to all customers not to share sensitive personal information online to avoid their identities being used to commit tax fraud.
HMRC has reported that it is aware criminals are attempting to obtain customers’ UK Government Gateway logins and other personal details, enabling them to register for Income Tax Self Assessment and submit bogus tax refund claims before pocketing the repayment.
Individuals, ranging from teenagers to pensioners, are being targeted on social media platforms by fraudsters seeking to ‘borrow’ their identities - in return, the individual is promised a cut of the tax refund ‘risk-free’.
Handing over sensitive personal information to criminals like this, even inadvertently, risks individuals involving themselves in tax fraud, and having to pay back the full value of the fraudulent claim.
HMRC advises that customers should only deal with them directly or through their tax advisor in relation to their Self Assessment tax refunds.
Simon Cubitt, Head of Cybercrime at HMRC said: “People need to think extremely carefully before they involve themselves in an arrangement like this, because if something looks too good to be true, then it almost certainly is.
“Those who get involved risk becoming the victim of blackmail, threats of violence and wider abuse of their personal information, as criminals seek to exploit them further.”
He added: “I urge anyone who may be aware of these dishonest attempts to recruit individuals into criminality, to report it us on GOV.UK and complete our online form.”
In addition to their Government Gateway credentials, customers may also be asked to provide details of their bank account, passport, driving licence, address, date of birth, and National Insurance number.
HMRC is working with other law enforcement agencies and social media companies to tackle criminality on online platforms.
Last month, HMRC made coordinated arrests of four individuals aged between 16 and 33 in Hertfordshire, Bristol, Derbyshire and Buckinghamshire as part of an investigation into suspected Self Assessment repayment fraud and money laundering offences.
Investigations are ongoing.
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