Croydon Trading Standards - HMRC - Be aware of scams!

I wanted to provide you with an update regarding Fraud, which people around your area have highlighted as an issue of concern on the priority survey.

The tax office is sending around 4 million income tax refund letters between June and August. Scammers commonly pose as HMRC.
HMRC is sending tax calculation letters – also known as a P800 – to people who are due an income tax refund. This could impact employees who receive their salary via PAYE, as well as pensioners, who may have overpaid tax on pension income.
Fraudsters regularly attempt to impersonate HMRC to pressure victims to part with their cash, so it's important to make sure any communication you receive is genuine – and stay safe from scams. Follow these steps below to make sure you don't get caught out.

1. HMRC will always send a letter about any tax you're owed – it'll never text, email or call you unexpectedly and pressure you to take action.

2. If you're owed tax and HMRC says it'll send a cheque, you don't need to do anything. It'll automatically send any cheque by post within 14 days of the date on your letter. If you're owed tax from more than one year, you'll get a single cheque for the entire amount.

3. If HMRC says you must claim your tax refund online, use the correct website address. Be wary of following links in letters or messages as they could be scam sites replicating the original. If you're unsure or worried, use this Gov.uk link (www.gov.uk/tax-overpayments-and-underpayments/if-youre-due-a-refund) to get you to the right place. You can bookmark it to use later if that's helpful.

Fraud can affect anyone within the community, so we want to make sure you have the tools and knowledge to protect yourself from it. It comes in many different forms and across varying channels, whether that's through emails, phone calls or in person encounters. Some adults may be even more vulnerable to fraud or financial abuse, but it is something that everyone can be at risk of. If you’re concerned about someone you know, please contact your local social services and ask for Adult Social Care.

Please see a few resources below to protect you and others from potential fraudsters: 

• Learn the ten golden rules to prevent fraud.
• Find out about the most common types of fraud.
• Download The Little Book of Big Scams to find out more. The Little Book of Big Scams audio version is also available.

For more information and help and to report fraud, go to Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud and cybercrime reporting centre. Lastly, if you think you’ve uncovered a scam, been targeted by a scam or fallen victim to fraudsters, please contact 101 or Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or online at Action Fraud.

Get Involved

Please consider getting involved and contribute to the local priority survey, we may be unaware of issues that you would like us to focus on.  Take a few minutes to securely and privately register and have your say using the button below, this will mean we can focus on things that matter to you. 

Please click here to complete the survey