No longer HM Customs and Excise?

[Keygrip]

Got this in my "Junk" mail folder this evening....

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/images/logo.gif

After the last annual calculations of your fiscal activity we have determined that
you are eligible to receive a tax refund of Ј 99.23.
Please submit the tax refund request and allow us 3-6 days in order to
process it.

A refund can be delayed for a variety of reasons.
For example submitting invalid records or applying after the deadline.

To access the form for your tax refund, please [COLOR="Blue"]Click here


Best Regards,
HM Revenue & Customs
© Copyright 2009, HM Revenue & Customs UK All rights reserved.
TAX REFUND ID: A29R113

....thank goodness I was able to catch it, so I can now apply for my J99.23 refund.

All I have to do is click on that little link.

I wonder what the J to $ exchange rate is just now?

If anybody cares, the return address for the British Government department is now [email protected]

[m_j_berry]

Don't click that link!

Yikes...that URL looks very suspicious to me. Sorry if that's what you intended to point out, but it looks like very much like a phishing scam to me. The link starts

XAMPP Version 1.6.7 ... and that's not the Revenue.

Note to mods: might be worth deleting the "click here" link in the post above just in case anyone doesn't notice. The site *could* theoretically install spyware just by exploiting well-known browser security issues.

[m_j_berry]

(Follow up to last post)

That IP location is registered in Copenhagen, Denmark

[xraydice]

"Best Regards,
HM Revenue & Customs"

yep thats the give away !!

[Background Noise]

Notwithstanding the fishing nature of your email, it hasn't been customs and excise for a while - HM Revenue & Customs: Home Page (http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/index.htm). C and E must have merged with Inland Revenue at some stage.


Just found this:

The Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Bill which will provide the authority to integrate Inland Revenue and HM Customs & Excise and create HMRC was introduced to Parliament on 25 November. The Chancellor announced his decision to create HMRC in Budget 2004, following the recommendations of the Gus O’Donnell’s review of tax administration, .......

so I guess you left before 2004?

[amanoffewwords]

Funny how you're not allowed to post links on certain parts of this site but it's ok to do so for phishing sites :ugh:

[Keygrip]

m j - many thanks for the PM, but yes, it was what I was getting at. Thanks again for the concern.

Manoffew...good point. I *assumed* that the readers here were suitably suspicious and therefore safe to share with - but you're right.

Background - interesting stuff. Thanks - wasn't aware of the name change.

[Background Noise]

This is on the UK national news now. Apparently it's fairly widespread and timing is due to the self-assessment tax-return deadline of January 31st.

[berliner57]

Have had clients receive this e mail, told them to disregard it as Revenue & customs would never contact you in this manner.

[Whirlygig]

HMR&C would certainly never contact anyone in that manner and any email addresses would end hmrc.gov.uk not co.uk.

Cheers

Whirls

[Saab Dastard]

That's right guv, gov.

:)

[Wader2]

Yeah, they contacted me all right, by letter. i have paid the ******** the money they asked for.

I think the scammers made an error. Rather than offering a refund, they should have demanded a sum of money, say £65.65 by 31 Jan or the possibility of a £100 fine. That way they would have got both the payment details and 65 sheets up front while you tried to avoid the fine. Given the 31st is a Saturday a good time to send out the emails would have been the 30th.:E

[Background Noise]

they should have demanded a sum of moneyAnd far more believable than a refund.

[Keygrip]

Especially a refund paid in "J's".

J 99.23 I wonder what that would buy me. A car, or a donut?

I only posted this to raise a smirk on the faces of the scam spotters - didn't expect it to 'run'.

=^..^=