Is this HMRC message a scam?

/100

Scam Score: 95/100

Based on:

No strong indicators found

HMRC never contacts taxpayers via SMS about refunds. This is a well-known phishing scam designed to steal your bank details. The domain is not an official UK government (.gov.uk) domain.

The Scam Message

HMRC: You are owed a tax refund of £348.00. Claim now before it expires: https://hmrc-refund-gov.uk/claim. Reference: TXR-2024-8821

Warning Signs Detected

HMRC Impersonation

HMRC does not send refund notifications by text message — only by post or via your government gateway account.

Non-Government Domain

'hmrc-refund-gov.uk' is not a legitimate HMRC domain. Official HMRC URLs use 'gov.uk' without hyphens.

Unexpected Refund

Unsolicited refund offers are a classic social engineering tactic to get victims to hand over financial details.

Expiry Pressure

Claiming the refund will expire is a manipulation tactic to rush you.

#hmrc#tax refund#HMRC scam#government#phishing#SMS

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