{"id":3247,"date":"2025-02-12T09:20:53","date_gmt":"2025-02-12T09:20:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.robbtax.co.uk\/blog\/?p=3247"},"modified":"2025-02-12T09:21:38","modified_gmt":"2025-02-12T09:21:38","slug":"vat-fraud-avoid-getting-caught-out-by-phishing-attacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.robbtax.co.uk\/blog\/vat-fraud-avoid-getting-caught-out-by-phishing-attacks\/","title":{"rendered":"VAT fraud \u2013 Avoid getting caught out by phishing attacks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Scammers are increasingly targeting VAT-registered businesses with phishing attacks.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Warnings have been issued by a number of organisations, and taxpayers are being encouraged to check requests carefully.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To help you avoid becoming a victim of these fraudsters, here is what you need to know to avoid getting caught out.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Phishing and VAT fraud<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Phishing is when cyber criminals send fraudulent emails or text messages containing links to malicious websites.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These websites often trick users into revealing sensitive information (such as passwords) or encourage taxpayers to transfer money.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

They can also contain malware that sabotages systems and organisations or ransomware, which holds sensitive information or systems ransom in return for a fee.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, scammers are manipulating and submitting form VAT 484 to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to change legitimate bank details to theirs.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Once a repayment return is processed and verified by HMRC, funds are directed to the fraudsters\u2019 accounts instead of the legitimate ones.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Many businesses are currently being targeted by these methods as they submit their regular VAT report to HMRC and make payments.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While they can be hard to identify, there are recurring scams that target both individual finances and businesses.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The most common ones include:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n