Advisers are urged by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to warn expatriate clients to be on their guard against falling victim to ‘phishing' emails sent out by fraudsters in the run-up to the self-assessment deadline of 31 January.
Expatriates are a particularly vulnerable group targeted by such scams as they are much more likely to respond to a seemingly “official emailed instruction.” The scam email doing the rounds right now tells the recipient they are due a tax rebate, and provides a link to a clone of HMRC's website where the recipient is asked to give their credit card or bank details. Fraudsters then try to take money from the account using the details provided. HMRC warns that victims are at risk from having their bank accounts emptied and their personal details sold on to other organised criminal gangs. ...
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