Sooo much pooping

[Christian]

Just received an email advising me that I will be receiving a tax refund of a little under £500!

 

I have to download a form and fill it in.

 

They need -

 

Name

Address

Account number

Branch

Telephone number

Where my main branch is...........oh and -

 

ATM pin number

Online banking account number and password........!!

 

I smell something phishy........!

 

Got all excited for a minute Beware dodgy emails. This has .Gov stamped all over the email and looks very official!

[Charlottechicken]

I read the first line of your post and got really excited for you!

 

Bloomin' phishermen

[sari]

I get these on a regular basis............have done since April last year....I just delete..delete...delete....I also get them offering me the chance to meet Russian Ladies....not sure where I put one of those. and my Russian is very basic....Da and Nyiet.

[Mrs Webmuppet]

HMRC have a department that sorts out those phishing emails...............send your email to;

 

phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk

[Blackrocksrock]

I have had a few of those - straight to spam! I am sure some people do give out the information too!

[Valkyrie]

Is that all Christian - I would hold out for more if I were you! I have had quite a few of those recently. Since logging into the Basingstoke Leisure centre for details of swimming fees and times (had to log in to get season ticket prices as they conveniently leave it out of the main domain) - ever since I have been inundated with people flogging a certain tablet which is of no use to me whatsoever. A bloke perhaps . . . Then the United Nations have said I have compensation for something (a couple of times) and that very nice Nigerian ambassador - then that poor widow who has umpteen dollars held up in limbo. Sometimes they are worth reading for a laugh - then immediately get deleted.

[Omletina Kyckling]

My mum had one, saying she was entitled to £950.....she wasn't fooled, fortunately and said "I wouldn't mind if I had enough income to pay that much tax, but I don't as a pensioner!!"

[Christian]

Thanks Mrs Webmuppet. Will forward it to them!

[kinsk]

I've had a few of them, some do look quite convinving.

 

Although I'm sick of the barclays one asking me to update my information, I don't even bank with barclays.

[Olly]

Ooh I was getting all excited for you too, Christian! After all, some people are getting refunds rather than demands - fortunately I've had neither (so far).

 

There used to be a 'phishing report' button on hotmail, I'm sure but it seems to have disappeared. Last time I checked my Junk folder it had about eight different 'banking update' emails, all of them from banks with which I have never had an account!

[SarahJo]

We keep getting one re. tax refund but from HSBC sevice dept -they will try any guise to get lucky, and beware any mail asking for your online bank account details. The fact that they have no idea what bank you are with to start with is the 1st reason to delete and mark as junk mail

[sadietoo]

So good to see everyone on here is smelling a rat....

 

just in case you are ever in any doubt...

 

Two things....

When did you give HMRC your email address?? and HMRC do not (currently) ever correspond with taxpayers by e-mail..

 

I particularly like the ones of these that sign off "best regards"...when did you ever get that in a letter from the taxman?

[Jules.]

 

I particularly like the ones of these that sign off "best regards"...when did you ever get that in a letter from the taxman?

[Purplemaniacs]

I heard on TV the other day that HMRC never contact people by email, so don't respond to the email.

 

I get them too and ones from banks that I don't belong to.

 

Chrissie

[Couperwife]

 

I particularly like the ones of these that sign off "best regards"...when did you ever get that in a letter from the taxman?

 

its like the letters that Harry Potter gets from the Ministry of Magic after being told that he is to be expelled...

 

"hope you are well!!!

 

Mafalda Hopkirk"

 

(am I the only one that remembers her name even though she never really appears in any of the books )

 

 

cathy

x

[Christian]

That always makes me laugh too Cathy

[Lydia]

There used to be a 'phishing report' button on hotmail, I'm sure but it seems to have disappeared. Last time I checked my Junk folder it had about eight different 'banking update' emails, all of them from banks with which I have never had an account!

 

The Hotmail phishing button is still there but they have, rather annoyingly, made it less obvious. On the menus at top of your message (New, Reply, Reply All, Forward etc) there's one called 'Mark as'. Click on that and the last item on the list is 'Phishing scam'.

 

As for phishing emails I get loads both at work at via my private email accounts. They gain your email by simply using software to scan websites like the Omlet forum. The software is easy to download entirelly legally, very simple to use, doesn't cost much and you can use it on virtually any website. A version of this software was included in a package we use at work for emailing our database via a mass sender. Needless to say, however, we are a responsible organisation and don't actually use that part of the package. We also don't phish here or anywhere else.

 

On Omlet anyone with one of those helpful little 'envelope' icons where you can 'Email [username]' is as risk because, even though your email address is actually not listed via the icon, the software picks up the @ in your email address that is hidden behind it and automatically recognises that as an email address.

 

A good tip to help disguise your email address is to use '%40' instead of '@' (as in name%40hotmail.com instead of name@hotmail.com). Your email will still work and will make the work of phishermen that bit more difficult, although it is not totally foolproof and some will still get through.

[Old Speckled Hen]

 

A good tip to help disguise your email address is to use '%40' instead of '@' (as in name%40hotmail.com instead of name@hotmail.com). Your email will still work and will make the work of phishermen that bit more difficult, although it is not totally foolproof and some will still get through.

 

I didn't know that but YES it works

Thanks

[craftyhunnypie]

Ah what a shame. I was thinking of you ordering a new eglu or spending a wad in the fabric shop. Oh schade!

 

Emma.x

[Valkyrie]

I've just had a note from Barclays to say there is irregular activity on my Barclaycard. So there must be - I don't have one! In fact I get irregular activity from every bank except my own one.

[Purplemaniacs]

I have had a security alert on my Lloyds account and I need to update my details.

 

I don't have an account either.

 

Chrissie