Scammers are always on the lookout for opportunities to fleece the unwary. A new HMRC scam has been discovered with a text message linking to a very legitimate-looking tax refund form ...
And this goes for any text message you receive asking you to click a link. Whoever it's from, navigate to their website first and then look for the page or form they are asking you to complete.
Scammers are becoming more and more sophisticated and the domain names they use are very similar to the one they are pretending to be, but there will always be differences.
For example, the government always uses a gov.uk domain name, but if you receive something with gov.uk.com, guv.uk, uk-gov.com or even ihimric.com (like this one) then it is most definitely a HMRC scam.
Also, check that there is a valid SSL certificate. Any form you fill in online should have an https:// at the front of the URL. If it doesn't then DON'T fill out the form because the data isn't secure. Even if it is secured and using https:// you can click the padlock in your browser and see who is the owner of the certificate.
So be warned. The text message supposedly from HMRC is not from them at all, and the form on the other end of the link is not on the gov.uk website and is simply stealing your information.
Delete the message if you get it.
If anything I've written here resonates with you, call me on 01604 420057 and let's see how we can help you.