ALERT email sent to defraud taxpayers

Taxpayers who settle up with HM Revenue & Customs over the internet are the target of a new scam designed to harvest their personal details for fraud.



Emails purporting to be from 'HMRC Online services' are arriving in taxpayers' inboxes with a link to a website that requests their account details and password.



By claiming to have been sent from the address test@test.com, the fraud seems to be targeting taxpayers who are new to HMRC's website and expect test run emails.



The mail states that the recipient has "1 new ALERT message," and invites them to access their online account, through the provided link, to read the message.



"This email is not from HMRC," the tax authority warned on its official website . "If you have received a copy please forward it to HMRC at phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk."