100,000 HMRC accounts hit as scammers steal £47m in phishing attack
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‘Unacceptable’ amount stolen in HMRC phishing attack
- A phishing scam has cost HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) £47 million after the personal tax accounts of tens of thousands of people were breached.
- HMRC Chief Executive John-Paul Marks stated that about 100,000 taxpayers have been, or will be, contacted after their accounts were locked down, and those affected will suffer "no financial loss."
- The breach involved organised crime phishing for identity data to create PAYE accounts and claim repayments, but HMRC Deputy Chief Executive Angela MacDonald clarified it was not a cyber attack, but it was “unacceptable”.
- An investigation into the matter led to arrests last year, and HMRC has protected £1.9 billion worth of money from similar attacks in the last tax year.
- HMRC has locked down affected accounts, removed incorrect information, and will send letters to those affected over the next three weeks to reassure them that their accounts are secure and they have not lost any money.