Pictured above: Steve Holden
Email scammers are getting braver, a legal expert has
warned.
No longer are they fairly obvious Nigerian money-lending cons
written in bad English - now the perpetrators are sufficiently
brazen to impersonate HM Revenue & Customs.
That is the warning from Steve Holden, tax and trust manager
with Midlands-based MFG Solicitors.
The law firm is advising clients and the public alike to be
vigilant against emails asking people to provide bank details in
order to apply for a tax rebate.
Mr Holden said: "The emails, which purport to come from HMRC,
claim the addressee has a specific amount waiting for them in tax
refunds.
"To apply for the rebate, the recipient is asked to provide
their details by clicking on a link which gives the impression of
redirecting them to an Inland Revenue application form.
"However, I would strongly advise people not to respond to such
an unsolicited email or click on any links contained in the
message. Those who have previously provided details have had their
accounts emptied and credit cards used to their limit, while there
is also a risk of a victim's personal details being sold on to
organised crime gangs.
"These people are really becoming a menace and can cause much
heartache and aggravation.
"The fact that they now think they can cock a snook at HMRC with
impunity is quite scandalous. The authorities need to step up the
fight to deal with these cowboys."
Mr Holden said anyone who believed they may have been the victim
of an email scam should report the matter to their bank or card
issuer as soon as possible.