Tax scam warning for students. Photograph: PA Media
NEW students starting university could be targeted in a fresh wave of tax scams, HMRC has warned.
They are writing to universities advising them to warn new students about tax scams sent by fraudsters to steal money.
More than 620,000 tax-related email scams were reported to HMRC last year – up by 20,000 on the previous year – including thousands of reports the department received about scam emails targeting students.
Fraudsters can use a range of methods to target students, most commonly by sending fake tax refunds using seemingly legitimate university email addresses in order to avoid detection.
Criminals could steal money, set up direct debits or make purchases using a student's details.
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