Fraudsters are sending out thousands of tax refund 'phishing' emails following the 31st January tax deadline, according to HM Revenue & Customs.

The email asks you to input your credit card or bank details into an online form, so that the rebate can be paid to you. But if you provide your details, your bank account will be emptied or your credit cards will be used to their limit, and you may also become a victim of identity fraud.

The massive upsurge in these emails could catch out many people waiting to hear about genuine tax refunds.

Here are some examples of what the e-mail and forms look like - fortunately these phishers are so culturally illiterate that it gives the game away - but the day they actually get some literate people to compile these scams, then the pressure will be on.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/security/phish-scam-0109.pdf

Salutation of “Best Regards”  - never known HMG be that nice to me, when giving me money back

Address Panel : Country appears before County & Postcode

Asking for Credit Card Expiry Date & Security Code

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/security/scamexample.pdf

Tax Refund denominated in GBP rather than £

Date of Birth in USA style Month Day Year format

As well as asking for Mothers Maiden Name, asking for Credit Card Expiry Date & Security Code

Phone number in USA style 3-3-4 format

 http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/security/tax-rebate-exple.pdf

"recalculation of your anual activity fiscal" – great English, with a single 'n' in annual?

Address pre-loaded with Country of "United Kindgom" – get a spellchecker tovarich

Phone number pre-loaded with international access code '0044'

Date of Birth in USA style Month Day Year format

By the way, back in the real world, I did my UK Tax Return on-line with a week to go before the deadline, and even before the deadline had passed, the Refund had been credited to my Bank Account - what service!