Phishing email scam
Some customers are currently receiving phishing emails that spoof Land Registry requisition emails.
Customers have told us that they are currently receiving fake emails, that pretend to be from us. These “phishing” emails state:
“The document attached is an official requisition, reminder or letter from Land Registry. It is not a circular and relates either to an application you have lodged with us or a property in which you have an interest. No paper copy of the item of correspondence will be sent to you.
The document is in ‘HyperText Markup Language’ (HTML) which replicates the appearance of the hard copy version. You will need to open the document with your internet browser”
How to identify phishing emails
If you’re unsure whether an email you’ve received is genuine, look at the sender address domain in the email’s “From” field.
Genuine Land Registry emails have a sender domain ending in .gov.uk, eg Telford.OfficeMail [Telford.Office@landregistry.gov.uk]
Phishing emails may use our office names, but are being sent from other email domains, eg Telford.OfficeMail [noreply3@nlacpa.com].
What to do
If you’re unsure about an email claiming to be from Land Registry, follow these steps:
- Do not open the attachment or follow any links, as this may infect your computer with a virus. Computer viruses can help criminals to steal data from your computer
- Do not reply to the email
- Forward the email to phishing@landregistry.gov.uk. We don’t respond to emails forwarded to this address, but we do examine them carefully
- If you’ve lost money or information, or your computer has been taken over by a phishing or malware attack, report it to Action Fraud.
- Delete the email
- If you have accidentally opened the attachment, run your anti-virus software and/or tell your IT administrator
For more information about phishing, read Action Fraud’s advice.