TAXPAYERS in north Kent are being warned about a scam where thieves pretend to be the taxman to steal their money.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) says con-artists are phoning and emailing taxpayers to tell them they are due a rebate and then asking for their bank details.

The thieves then use the information to take money from their victims’ accounts, and sell on the personal details to organised criminal gangs.

HMRC director of customer contact Chris Hopson said: “We only ever contact customers who are due a tax refund in writing by post, and never use phone calls, emails or external companies in these circumstances.”

For more information, go to hmrc.gov.uk/security/fraud-attempts.htm