Scam emails – we’ve all had them. From the famed “Nigerian prince” to “Your iTunes account has been locked”, email in the modern age involves hoping that your spam filter is working correctly.

One scam we’ve seen recently that we want to bring to everyone’s attention is fake HMRC calls and emails. Unlike other businesses often used for such scams, HMRC does sometimes call businesses and accountants up out of the blue and will email them if there is an issue with their tax return filings.

This makes it especially important for accountants and business owners to pay attention to the little details when receiving communications that purport to be from HMRC. An email may look convincing, but make sure you check the email address – is it from an actual HMRC email? Did they get all the details correct? Does the link in the email go to the real HMRC website, or just one that looks like it? If you get a phone call, HMRC will never ask for confidential information over the phone, and you should never give it to them.

As the world gets more digital, scammers and phishing schemes like this have become more and more common. It’s extremely important that you know how to protect yourself and your business!

For further information please contact your local AIMS accountant.