HMRC issues warning to anyone who has Universal Credit or State Pension login

11.03.2022 - 18:15 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk

HMRC has sent out an urgent message to anybody who has a Government Gateway login.

The login is a way for people who receive Universal Credit and other benefits to keep track of their account, and access help and advice.

However, criminals have been attempting to obtain customers’ UK Government Gateway logins and other personal details, enabling them to register for Income Tax Self Assessment and submit bogus tax refund claims before pocketing the repayment.

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Individuals, ranging from teenagers to pensioners, are being targeted on social media platforms by fraudsters seeking to ‘borrow’ their identities - in return, the individual is promised a cut of the tax refund ‘risk-free’.

Handing over sensitive personal information to criminals like this, even inadvertently, risks individuals involving themselves in tax fraud, and having to pay back the full value of the fraudulent claim.

HMRC advises that customers should only deal with them directly or through their tax advisor in relation to their Self Assessment tax refunds.

Simon Cubitt, Head of Cybercrime at HMRC said: “People need to think extremely carefully before they involve themselves in an arrangement like this, because if something looks too good to be true, then it almost certainly is.

“Those who get involved risk becoming the victim of blackmail, threats of violence and wider abuse of their personal information, as criminals seek to exploit them further.”

He added: “I urge anyone who may be aware of these dishonest attempts to recruit individuals into criminality, to report it us on GOV.UK and complete our online form.”

In addition to their Government