HMRC has warned students about a fresh wave of cyber frauds offering them bogus tax refunds.
It is usual to see a small, regular flow of scam referrals from students. But recently there has been a sudden spike in students reporting suspected scams. The spam emails are usually sent to their university e-mail addresses. When new scams emerge targeting students at particular universities, they often spread, fast.
Students should always be mindful before parting with personal information.
Our advice for avoiding cyber scams:
STOP:
Take a moment to think before parting with your information or money
Don’t give out private information or reply to text messages
Don’t download attachments or click on links in texts or e-mails you were not expecting
CHALLENGE:
It is acceptable to reject, refuse or ignore any requests – only criminals will try to rush or panic you
If you are ever in any doubt about an alleged communication from HMRC, please contact us. We will be able to confirm whether the communication is genuine or not
PROTECT:
Forward suspicious e-mails claiming to be from HMRC to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 60599
Contact your bank immediately if you think you have fallen victim to a scam and report it to ActionFraud
If this has affected you in any way, please contact us so that we can assist you.