With nine days to go until the self-assessment tax return deadline, Brits are reminded to be alert of potential scams involving criminals impersonating HMRC.

       Multiple scam texts, emails, and phishing calls have been making the rounds, claiming to be from HMRC.

       The fake messages claim the respondent either owes money, is owed a refund from HMRC or needs to update their details to avoid being accused of tax evasion.

       The messages invite the taxpayer to click a link to extract personal information to steal money.

       A report by NatWest found that tax rebate scams were one of the fastest-growing scam types in 2024. There were more than 150,000 reports about tax scams in 2024 (an increase of 16.7% compared to 2023), of which 71,832 were offering fake tax rebates.

       READ MORE: Britain’s 'most hated tax' soars with ￡600m rise in just nine months

       READ MORE: Pensions expert explains 4 ways completing a tax return can help boost savings

       John Clark, product manager at Take Payments, said HMRC scams have become so prevalent that the Government has been forced to issue an official scam warning for the 5.4 million people in the UK who still need to submit a self-assessment tax return before the deadline.

       Clark said anyone receiving a text message, email or call claiming to be from HMRC should look out for:

       If you think a scam seems suspicious, reply directly to the official body. Do not reply to the text or email itself, as you may be providing scammers with your data.

       You can report any suspicious texts to 60599 or email phishing@hmrc.gov.uk to help fight fraud."