Is the HMRC tax refund text a scam?
Yes. HMRC never sends tax refund notices by text, and never asks for personal or payment details by text or on social media.
Arrives by Text, email. Pretends to be: HMRC.
How to spot it
HMRC Notice: Our records show 1you're eligible for a tax refund of £327.45. Please claim your refund via:
2https://.ru/help
Example: rebuilt from GOV.UK (HMRC) and BleepingComputer, which describe tax refund texts but do not print this one. We blacked out the dark parts.
- A refund you did not ask for
- A web address that does not end in gov.uk
- Other signs to watch for
- A text or email with a link to claim it
- A refund company asking a fee to claim it
How it works
A text or email says you are owed a tax refund, sometimes with an exact sum. The link asks for your bank or card details and your name and address. Other versions say a payment "has not gone through", or that you must pay customs duty on a parcel that does not exist. HMRC does send some real texts, but never to offer you a refund.
What to do
Do not tap the link. Check your tax account by typing gov.uk yourself.
Forward the text to 60599 (your network rate applies) or to 7726. Forward emails to [email protected].
If you have lost money, tell your bank now and report it to Report Fraud (reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040) with your screenshots; in Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101. If someone is coming to your home to collect money or cards, call 999.
Did you get this one? Tell us what happened: every detail helps us spot it.
Have you got a screenshot?
Tell us what happenedIt takes five minutes. We never publish anything you send us.
How we know
- GOV.UK — Examples of HMRC phishing emails and bogus contact
- GOV.UK — Report fraudulent HMRC emails, texts and calls
- BleepingComputer — HMRC smishing tax scam (November 2020)
