People are being urged not to fall victim to scammers as the deadline for online self-assessment tax returns nears.
Thousands of workers across Staffordshire will be filing their returns before the 31st January cut-off.
But Staffordshire County Council’s Trading Standards team says criminals are using emails, texts, phone calls and bogus websites in a bid to get their hands on personal and financial details.
The warning comes as HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) revealed it had received more than 130,000 reports about tax scams in the year to September 2023, with almost 60,000 people offered fake rebates by fraudsters.
Cllr Victoria Wilson, cabinet member responsible for Trading Standards at Staffordshire County Council, said:
“These HMRC related scams are very common at this time of year and it’s important to be vigilant.
“This particular scam is where fraudsters try to dupe people by sending emails, phone calls and texts, which mimic government messages to make them appear authentic.
“While lots of scams can appear genuine, it’s easy to fall for them, so it’s important to stop and check carefully – and, if it is a scam, please report it to the relevant organisation and Citizens Advice.”
Cllr Victoria Wilson, Staffordshire County Council
Scam texts can be forwarded to 60599, while emails can be shared with phishing@hmrc.gov.uk. Residents can also report tax scam phone calls to HMRC.
People can also report online scams to Citizens Advice or call 0808 223 1133.