Be careful of scam tax refund notice

[Janet]

The Spanish tax years runs from January to December, with tax returns for the previous year being submitted between April and June. As in previous years, the above message is doing the rounds, purportedly from the Agencia Tributaria advising about a refund of tax due. It asks for bank details to make the refund. f you have submitted your tax return and receive such a message, please note that it's false. The tax authorities already have your information from the submitted tax return and will refund any monies due to the account whose details they hold. These messages are a scam timed to coincide with this period. Please don't get caught out. JA

[Perikles]

I just don't get it. How could it benefit anyone just to have your account number? They can't take money out of it, can they?

[Nova]

I'm not entirely sure how they do it, but that's how direct debits work: you just give your account number and the phone/electricity/charity/whatever company takes whatever they want.

[Perikles]

I'm not entirely sure how they do it, but that's how direct debits work: you just give your account number and the phone/electricity/charity/whatever company takes whatever they want.

But that is surely only possible by a known company, surely? Actually, the administrator of our complex did this for community charge, without our permission, taking bank account details from the builder. How about that? Even if this did happen, you can recall the money up to 6 weeks later anyway, certainly if you didn't sign anything giving permission.

[Nova]

Yes....  I don't really get it 

Edit:  Maybe that's just the first step and their next trick will be to send you a phoney email from your bank (since they now know your bank and your email address) asking you to log in.  They now have access to your internet banking.

Or maybe they go straight to your internet banking equipped with your account number and email address, and try brute force on the password 

They could even spoof your email address and email your bank, hoping they'll get the can't-be-bothered-Friday employee who will make a transfer out of your account on the instruction of an unconfirmed email.  It could happen....

[Perikles]

They could even spoof your email address and email your bank, hoping they'll get the can't-be-bothered-Friday employee who will make a transfer out of your account on the instruction of an unconfirmed email.  It could happen....

In that case, the bank is negligent and you can claim the money back. The bank loses, but who the hell cares, because absolutely everybody involved in banking is a complete and utter scumbag, except for one or two individuals. Actually three, if you include our doggie friend in our defunct bank and the pretty Russian cashier with the low-cut dress.

[NAH]

.....absolutely everybody involved in banking is a complete and utter scumbag, except for one or two individuals.....

If there are exceptions then this is not 'absolutely everybody'. Not like you to be inaccurate

[Perikles]

If there are exceptions then this is not 'absolutely everybody'. Not like you to be inaccurate

Correct. I blame the combination of calima and wine on an empty stomach.  Either 'absolutely' is obsolete, or there are no exceptions. I'll let Nova decide which.

[Nova]

Oi! 

[Perikles]

An English equivalent. I've just received this convincing email:

RECALCULATION OF YOUR TAX REFUND
HMRC 2009-2013
LOCAL OFFICE No. 3819
TAX CREDIT OFFICER: Lynsey Dare
TAX REFUND ID NUMBER: 029901295
REFUND AMOUNT: 810.64 GBP

Dear Applicant,

The contents of this email and any attachments are confidential and as
applicable, copyright in these is reserved to HM Revenue & Customs.
Unless expressly authorized by us, any further dissemination or
distribution of this email or its attachments is prohibited.

If you are not the intended recipient of this email, please reply to
inform us that you have received this email in error and then delete it
without retaining any copy.

I am sending this email to announce: After the last annual calculation of
your fiscal activity we have determined that you are eligible to receive a
tax refund of 810.64 GBP.

You have attached the tax return form with the TAX REFUND NUMBER ID: 029901295,
complete the tax return form attached to this message.

After completing the form, please submit the form by clicking the SUBMIT
button on form and allow us 5-9 business days in order to process it.

Our head office address can be found on our web site at http://www.hmrc.co.uk/

Sincerely,
Lynsey Dare
HMRC Tax Credit Office
Preston
PR1 0SB
TAX REFUND ID: UK029901295-HMRC