HMRC scams
Fake HMRC messages offer a tax rebate to get your personal or payment details. HMRC says it never texts about a tax rebate, and only emails about one from an address ending in hmrc.gov.uk.
Check a HMRC linkHow to report a HMRC scam
- Forward suspicious emails, then delete them: [email protected]
- Forward suspicious texts (charged at your network rate): text 60599
- Report suspicious social media accounts: [email protected]
- Report a suspicious phone call (needs your email address or a sign-in): https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/submissions/new-form/report-a-suspicious-hmrc-phone-call
Then get the fake site taken down: report the phishing link.
What HMRC says
- HMRC says it will only email you about a tax rebate, or ask for personal or payment information, from an email address that ends in hmrc.gov.uk.
- HMRC says it will never send a tax rebate notice by text, or ask you to give personal or payment information by text.
- HMRC says it never uses social media to offer a tax rebate or to ask for personal or financial information.
- HMRC says it may share the email address and phone number you report with other organisations to close down scams.
- HMRC says it now uses QR codes that can lead to websites other than GOV.UK, and will tell you when a QR code does not go to GOV.UK.
HMRC's own warning page: Report suspicious HMRC emails, texts, social media accounts and phone calls
What fake HMRC messages look like
- Tax refund or rebate emails and texts linking to phishing websites
- Automated calls saying HMRC is filing a lawsuit and to press 1 to pay
- Fake social media accounts offering tax refunds
- Customs duty demands to release a parcel that doesn't exist
Real HMRC websites end in
- gov.uk
Other brands scammers copy
Checked against HMRC's own pages on 2026-10-19 (first published 2026-10-10): 1, 2. Not affiliated with HMRC.