NORTHSIDERS are being warned to watch out for a new email scam claiming to offer a tax refund from Revenue.
North Inner City councillor, Niall Ring, said he had been contacted by several constituents who received the email which claims the recipient is eligible for a tax refund of
?¬371.91.
“They [the scammers] ask in the attachment for credit card details even though they claim they are giving you a refund,
? said Cllr Ring (Ind).
“The Revenue sign on the attachment is quite good and it’s quite clever sending them out at the year end.
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The Revenue Commissioners have confirmed they recently became aware of the scam and urged the public not to be conned.
“We have become aware of fraudulent emails purporting to come from Revenue seeking personal information from taxpayers in connection with a tax refund,
? a spokesperson said.
“These phishing emails are headed ‘Notice of Tax Return’. These emails did not issue from Revenue. The Revenue Commissioners never send emails requiring customers to send personal information via email or pop-up windows.
“Anyone who receives an email purporting to be from Revenue and suspects it to be fraudulent or a scam should simply delete it. Anyone who is actually awaiting a tax refund should contact their local Revenue Office to check its status.
“Anyone who provided personal information in response to these fraudulent emails should contact their bank or credit card company immediately.
IT security company, ESET Ireland, said the phishing site that collects victims’ information is linked to a domain registered in the USA, but added that the actual cybercriminals behind it could be from anywhere.
“If you receive an email you’re not sure about, do not click on the attachment or reply to it,
? a spokesperson for the company said.
“If it purports to be from a bank, the tax office or any other institution, it is always better to ring them first, to make sure they actually sent you something.
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