ACCA’s head of taxation comments about scams and phishing

Chas Roy-Chowdhury, ACCA’s head of global taxation, warns that internet security is paramount when submitting a tax return on-line, or when dealing with the taxman via email.

His comments follow warnings from the UK’s HM Revenue & Customs to tax payers and their accountants who complete their forms for them – known as agents – that fraud can be carried out by unscrupulous scammers and criminals who exploit weaknesses in computers and email accounts. They have said online fraud is a “real risk.”

Chas Roy-Chowdhury says: “It is good to see HMRC being so proactive about this issue and flagging it up. Like all on-line transactions that involve personal and financial details, people need to exercise caution and make sure they don’t open themselves up to fraud.”

ACCA offers the following five simple tips for making sure on-line fraud doesn’t happen:
• Install good quality anti-virus software and update it regularly
• Ensure your computer has a firewall to block unauthorised connections
• Install anti-spy software too. This stops criminals from accessing your personal details on line
• Keep your password to yourself – and change it regularly
• Don’t reply to emails you do not trust. It is very rare for HMRC to contact individuals for their personal financial information via an e-mail out of the blue.

Chas Roy-Chowdhury concludes: “For those who do fall prey to on-line crime, then they need to let HMRC know immediately. Call their helpline or email them and alert them. Sometimes they might not be aware of the problem. But they do take this issue extremely seriously.”

Taxing on line states
• According to the National Audit Office, in 2007-08 HMRC processed half of the 8.2 million Income Tax Self Assessment returns during January to March.
• HMRC is responsible for helping some 60 million individual customers across the UK to fulfil their tax obligations.

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