HM Revenue & Customs has issued a warning after more than 4,800 self assessment scams were reported since February this year.
It said scammers use “persuasive and threatening” tactics to target people when they are more likely to receive correspondence from HMRC. This includes sending fake tax demands or attempting to pressurise people to hand over personal information.
More widely, 135,000 HMRC-related scams have been reported in the last 10 months, including 29,000 scams referring to fake tax refund claims.
HMRC’s warning comes ahead of the 31st January self assessment deadline.
Lucy Pike, chief security officer at HMRC, said: “Millions of people file a tax return each year and scammers mimic HMRC to try and catch unsuspecting victims out.
“I’m urging people to stay vigilant and if any emails, text messages or phone calls appear suspicious, don’t be lured into clicking on links or sharing your personal information.”
HMRC has closed down nearly 25,000 fake websites and phone numbers in the last 10 months as it seeks to take action against scammers.
Laura Suter, director of personal finance at AJ Bell, said: “Anyone filing their tax returns should be vigilant of messages that claim to be from the HMRC and report communications that could be suspicious.
“With the self-assessment filing deadline just over a month away, people will start to feel a sense of urgency to ensure they submit their claim on time but it’s important not to be tricked by scammers targeting people who are rushing and more susceptible to pressure tactics.”
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