Change of https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/phishing-and-bogus-emails-hm-revenue-and-customs-examples

Change description : 2025-12-02 14:03:00: The email address for reporting suspicious social media accounts has been updated. The COVID-19 scams section has been removed. [Guidance and regulation]

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Guidance

Examples of HMRC related phishing emails, suspicious phone calls and texts

Find out about methods fraudsters use to try and get your personal information by viewing examples of scams identified by HMRC.

Documents

Details

Use the examples and advice to help you decide if contact from HMRC is genuine. The examples show you the different methods fraudsters use to get you to disclose your personal information.

You can also check a list of genuine HMRC contacts.

Updates to this page

Published 5 February 2007
Last updated 2 December 2024 + show2025 href="#full-history">+ show all updates

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Update history

2025-12-02 14:03
The email address for reporting suspicious social media accounts has been updated. The COVID-19 scams section has been removed.

2024-12-02 11:23
The email address to let us know about social media scams has been updated.

2024-04-22 15:10
We have updated the ‘QR codes’ section of this guide, as we now use QR codes to take you to websites other than GOV.​UK. If a QR code does not take you to GOV.​UK, we will tell you.

2024-04-15 12:52
An updated example of an HMRC related phishing email and phishing website has been added to English and Welsh version of this guidance.

2024-01-31 10:00
Information about the new UK Government WhatsApp Channel, and how HMRC will use the Channel, has been added.

2023-08-10 12:28
Information about when HMRC might send you a text message has been updated.

2023-06-27 13:19
Information about how HMRC use QR codes has been updated.

2023-01-30 13:48
Information about how HMRC use QR codes has been added.

2023-01-19 00:15
Information about when HMRC might send you a text message if you call one of our helplines from a mobile phone, and what it might include has been added.

2022-05-17 11:01
Examples of a scam email and a phishing website have been updated.