Phishing attack targets victims of HMRC data loss
1 min read
Victims of the HMRC data loss scandal last November are now the subject of a phishing attack offering recipients the opportunity to claim a tax refund of £215 from the government.
McAfee, which discovered the attack, says that the email contains a web link to a suspect site.
“This attack has echoes of traditional get-rich-quick scams, praying on the desire to be compensated for the government losing their data, but people must learn that there really is no such thing as free money,” warns Greg Day, McAfee security analyst.
“Recent high profile data loss incidents have left the public more vigilant about handing over information that has any link to HMRC, so this may not be the most thoroughly considered phishing attack,” he adds.
His advice: “Know where you’re going online. Security technology such as McAfee SiteAdvisor warns of risky sites that might have a virus or spyware before you click on them. SiteAdvisor adds intuitive red, yellow, or green ratings to sites and search results based on proprietary tests of more than 95% of traffic on the Internet.
“Install comprehensive security software, and keep it up to date. Both anti-virus software and a firewall will protect you from inadvertently accepting unwanted files.”
