You’ve all seen the press reports about ransomware and cyber attacks and I’m sure you’re bang on top of preventative measures – all your malware and anti virus software is up to date and you never open suspicious emails or attachments but something from HMRC – well, that’s bound to be OK, isn’t it?

NO.  It’s not (or at least, most probably not).  HMRC can hardly spell email let alone use it, so it is almost certainly dodgy.  Their advice on the latest big one to catch their attention is as follows:

Customers are strongly advised to lookout for a new phishing scam. If you get an email with the subject, “Your 2016 Tax Report”, with an attachment, do not open it.

Please forward it to phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk and then delete it.

‘Customers’ is their word for tax payers but the rest of the advice is unarguable – so, as Sgt Esterhaus said, “let’s be careful out there…”