HM Revenue and Customs has issued a warning about a scam involving fraudsters who telephone taxpayers to inform them they are due a tax rebate, then ask for their bank details so they can use them to try to withdraw funds from their account. The warning comes amid a surge in tax scam phishing e-mails, which has resulted in HMRC closing down more than 180 websites in the UK and other countries for sending out fake tax rebate e-mails over recent months.

If you receive suspicious e-mails or telephone calls you should report them to phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk Advice on online security and links to current security messages and examples of scams are available at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/security/index.htm

Do not get conned into these scams, a good basic rule is that HMRC will only currently contact you by snail mail (normal post), not by any other method.