Although I've often read warnings about emails purporting to be from the taxman offering a tax refund in return for your bank details, this morning is the first time I've actually received one:
2009 - Recalculation Tax Refund
After the last annual calculation of your fiscal activity we have determined that you are eligible to receive a tax refund of 284.23 GBP Your TRN (TAX REFUND NUMBER): 2 7 9 0 2 1 6 8 1 5, please fill the payment form attached in the email.
Please submit the tax refund and allow us 3-9 business days in order to process it.
Note: For security reasons, we recommend that you close your browser after you have finished accessing your refund status.
- For security reasons, we will record your ip-address and date.
- Deliberate wrong inputs are criminally pursued and indicted.
Best Regards,
Greg Stephen
Tax Credit Office Agent
Preston
PR1 0SB
Telephone: 0845 300 3900
Opening hours:
8.00 am to 8.00 pm, seven days a week
Two things betray this as a scam. Firstly, the Americanisms that clearly indicate that the email has been written by someone not from the UK - "fiscal", "indicted" (and GBP, for that matter). But more importantly - the Revenue open seven days a week, until 8pm? Whoever has written the email clearly doesn't have any first-hand knowledge of the tax system here. If they put Monday to Friday, 10am until 3pm, they would have a much better chance of fooling people!
The Revenue will never contact taxpayers in this way - if you get an email like this, just delete it.
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