Press Release

TAX REFUND SCAMS RETURN AS JULY 31ST TAX CREDIT APPLICATIONS DEADLINE LOOMS

Taxpayers continue to be targeted by fraudsters

London 28th July 2009 - Leading ID fraud expert, Equifax, has become aware of another wave of phishing emails from fraudsters offering tax refunds in return for credit card or bank details. This latest spate of fraudulent emails has surfaced as the deadline for tax payments looms - perhaps trying to catch out the unwary hoping for some relief from their tax bills. And as some recipients have confirmed, at first sight these emails are fairly convincing although on careful reading it is clear they are a scam.

"Coinciding with the fact that many self-employed people may be just sorting out their tax credit applications and second stage payments on overdue tax to meet the 31st July deadline, this is cynical timing" confirmed ID fraud expert, Neil Munroe, External Affairs Director, Equifax. "If you were worried about money and then got the email you might think all your prayers had been answered. They ask for credit card or bank details and if you gave those you could find yourself very quickly a victim of ID fraud. However, generally a person would be alerted to a tax refund at the end of the financial year.

"The key thing to remember is that organisations should not be asking its customers to confirm personal details such as bank and credit card details via email or telephone. So anyone receiving one of these emails shouldn't reply and delete the email immediately.

"Fraudsters are becoming more sophisticated in how they operate and consumers need to be aware of these types of phishing scams and the risk to their identity. Make sure you know who you are speaking to and if in doubt, check. As the HMRC advises, they only ever contact customers who are due a refund in writing by post."

EQUIFAX TIPS TO PROTECT AGAINST ID FRAUD

Be wary when asked to give out your personal details online, if you doubt the request is genuine, contact the company directly
Make sure you have the latest virus protection that ideally updates hourly and you have a Firewall
Keep your PIN secure and do not use the same PIN for all of your cards and accounts and never write down your PIN
Don't include common verification such as your date of birth or your mother's maiden name
When using online banking, ensure people can't view your details and log out of the site, rather than just closing the window
If you are disposing of an old computer, make sure you destroy information on the hard drive
Always check bank statements and credit card statements carefully against receipts
Apply for a copy of your credit file to look out for any unauthorised activity

ENDS

For further press information or interviews with Neil Munroe, contact the Equifax Press Office; Elinor Puzey, Louise Fowler, Cecile Stearn or Wendy Harrison at HSL on 020 8977 9132 or email elinor@harrisonsadler.com