HMRC warns over phishing emails

Online fraudsters have been sending out high volumes of emails supposedly from HM Revenue and Customs offering tax rebates. The government has issued a warning to anyone who may have received such an email not to respond to them. The emails carry the HMRC logo and other genuine details, designed to trick the recipient into believing their authenticity. "While HMRC may send emails from time to time, they never do so requesting login, bank and credit cards details," said a government statement on the Direct.gov website. HMRC issued some advice on how to spot phishing scams such as checking to see who the email is addressed to - fraudulent emails are not normally addressed to you personally, and often begin with the phrase 'Dear valued customer' or similar. www.hmrc.gov.uk www.direct.gov.uk