It is becoming ever more increasing the number of fake letters being sent to businesses and individuals that say it is from HMRC in many cases stating that you owe money and you need to take immediate action and they have passed on the debt to a collection agency. These letters are fake and are NOT from HMRC and you should never use the contact information on the letter.
Telling signs that a letter is fake is firstly the HMRC logo at the top of the letter will not be clear and distorted, the address may not be complete on the right hand side and the letter will say “Dear Sir/Madam”. HMRC letters always will be addressed to the person they are intended for.
The BIG telling sign is the HMRC will if they need to discuss an amount of money you may owe, will ask you to contact them first. They would never in a letter ask you for your bank details and also they would not pass on your debt to a collection agency in a first letter.
If you receive a fake letter, you should never use the telephone number which is on the letter as it will NOT be to HMRC. In all cases, go to HMRC.gov.uk website and seek advise directly from there.
What to do if you think you have a fake letter
Contact HMRC directly, send them a copy of the letter and request they verify its authenticity. This is useful if the letter is a scam as HMRC will have a record to refer to and flag up to others if necessary. When contacting HMRC to discuss any letter you have received, make sure you get the contact information directly from their website, NOT from any contact details on the letter for obvious reasons.
If you have an accountant, send them a copy of the letter as they will be able to tell you if the letter is genuine of fake.
It is also advisable to contact Action Fraud if you think you have received a fake HMRC letter. The more people that report this type of fraud the better so that efforts can be taken to try and uncover the fraudster and stop them in their tracks.
