Phishing scam targets businesses

Thousands of businesses are being besieged by fraudsters every day with counterfeit emails trying to swindle them into handing over their bank details.

Small business owners and the self employed are being sent phony e-mail stating that they are owed a tax rebate and asking them for their bank or credit card details so the money can be 'refunded'.

Alternatively they are asked to call a telephone line to leave their information. The line appears to keep ringing even though callers are being charged up to £6 a minute.
Concerned taxpayers were forwarding 500 of the bogus emails to the powers that be every day but HMRC feared that the true volume of potential victims was much higher.
The messages include the HMRC logo and are outwardly sent from believable email addresses. Taxpayers who fall for the scam risk theft from their bank accounts or having their identify stolen and sold to organised criminal gangs.

The messages are apparently being sent out to coincide with the 31st Jan deadline for self assessment tax returns, when many taxpayers will be due a rebate.

This scam comes along as many Britons face penalty charges for missing the self assessment deadline. It is said that charges could amount to over £400 million, and include fines for late returns, surcharges and interest in unpaid tax.