18 May 2020

Covid 19 - scams

HMRC work hard to bear down on scams and have a dedicated team to tackle and prevent scams. They have recently circulated some important information about Covid 19 (coronavirus) related scams.

Their message reads:

'Covid related scams

Criminals are taking advantage of the package of measures announced by the Government to support people and businesses affected by coronavirus.  

HMRC has detected more than 70 Covid-related financial scams to date, most by text message and some by email. 

So far, HMRC have asked Internet Service Providers to take down more than 500 web pages associated with these Covid-related scam campaigns.   

Radio campaign 

In addition to HMRC"s ongoing work to warn customers about scams, they are running a radio ad campaign, during May, to alert people to an increased threat of scams. 

HMRC are supporting the radio ads with social media posts, including 

On Twitter ;  on LinkedIn ; and on Facebook: 

HMRC have also posted a video about scams on YouTube . 

HMRC are also working closely with the Home Office, National Cyber Security Centre and other government departments, helping to coordinate efforts to combat scams.   

Here’s how you can also protect yourself:   

Be alert - Think before parting with your information or money.    

Be calm – It’s ok to refuse requests. If you feel rushed, it could be a scam.   

Be secure - Tell HMRC and your bank if you think you’ve been a victim.   

If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. For more information search ‘scams’ on gov.uk. '