HMRC advice on avoiding cyber and phone scams

Online scams are widespread and numbers have risen during the past few years.  In particular, HMRC has seen tax-related scams roughly double over the past year. 

These crimes often target the busy, unwary or vulnerable, but anyone can become a victim. Unfortunately the pandemic has given criminals a fresh hook for their activity, and HMRC have detected more than 460 Covid financial support scams alone since early 2020.

HMRC have asked us to share their latest guidance, which covers how to spot scams, what you should do if you or a client receive scam messages or calls, and the steps HMRC take to prevent them.