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    Scam news · 26 October 2026

    What’s catching people out this week

    Short, plain-English warnings. What the scam looks like, how to spot it, and exactly what to do.

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    Showing the scams you and your family are most likely to meet.

    Usually arrives by email

    Doing the roundsEmailFamilies

    HMRC Tax Refund Scam

    Emails claiming you are owed a tax refund from HMRC. They link to convincing fake HMRC websites that steal your bank details and personal information.

    How to spot it

    • HMRC will never email you about tax refunds
    • The sender address is not a genuine gov.uk domain
    • Creates urgency, "claim within 48 hours or lose your refund"
    • Asks for bank details or card numbers directly

    What to do

    • Do not click any links in the email
    • Forward the email to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk
    • Delete the email after forwarding
    • If you entered details, contact your bank immediately
    Got one like this? Check it

    Written by the CyberSafe Coach team.

    More scams to know about

    Text message · Families

    Royal Mail Delivery Fee Scam

    Text messages claiming you have a parcel waiting and need to pay a small delivery fee. The link takes you to a fake Royal Mail website designed to steal payment details.

    Email · Families

    Energy Bill Rebate Scam

    Emails claiming you are eligible for an energy bill rebate from the government or your energy supplier. Links lead to fake sites that harvest your personal and financial details.

    Text message · Families

    Council Tax Reduction Text Scam

    Text messages offering a council tax band reduction for a fee. While council tax banding can be checked for free, scammers charge for this and steal your details.

    Social media · Families

    "Hi Mum/Dad" Messaging Scam

    Messages on WhatsApp or similar apps from someone pretending to be your child or family member, claiming they have a new phone number and urgently need money.

    Social media · Families

    Social Media Investment Scam

    Sponsored posts and fake celebrity endorsements on social media promoting "guaranteed" investment returns, often in cryptocurrency or forex trading.

    Social media · Families

    Blackmail over a photo, aimed at teenage boys

    Someone who seems to be a young person makes friends online, moves the chat to a private app and gets a photo, or makes a fake one. Then they threaten to send it to the young person's friends and family unless they pay. In the UK, reports from children are rising fast, and 95 in every 100 involve boys.

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