Avoid and report internet scams and phishing
Report scam HMRC messages, calls and social media accounts
You can report suspicious HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) emails, texts, phone calls, social media accounts and letters. How you do this depends on what you received.
If you get:
- a text message, forward it to 60599 - you’ll be charged at your network rate
- an email, forward it to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk
- a message in an application, for example WhatsApp, take a screenshot and email it to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk
- a phone call asking for personal information or threatening a lawsuit, report the call online
- a letter, contact the HMRC team the letter says it’s from, for example the Self Assessment team
- a message from a social media account, and you cannot verify the account it comes from, send details by email to security.custcon@hmrc.gov.uk and ignore it
Your email address and phone number will be shared with other organisations if that’s necessary to close down the scam.
If you’ve given your personal details to someone
Contact the HMRC security team if you think you’ve given any personal information in reply to a suspicious email or text.
Include brief details of what you disclosed (for example name, address, HMRC User ID, password) but do not give your personal details in the email.
HMRC security team
phishing@hmrc.gov.uk
Spotting HMRC scams
You’ll never get an email, text message, message in an application (for example WhatsApp) or a phone call from HMRC which:
- tells you about a tax rebate or penalty
- asks for your personal or payment information
Check HMRC’s guidance on recognising scams if you’re not sure.