Tax Refund Hoax

Hoax emails have been doing the rounds claiming that the recipient is due a tax refund.  Some of these claim to be from a company calling themselves “NZ Tax Refunds” and others claim to be from the IRD.

These emails contain links to a false internet banking login site.

The most recent hoax email claims to be from IRD advising that after the last annual calculation the recipient is due a refund of $988.50 – and requesting the recipient to click on a “Refund me now” link.  The link goes to a false internet banking login page which asks for your personal login details.

Here’s an example of the hoax email doing the rounds this week:

After the last annual calculations of your fiscal activity, we have determined that you are eligible to receive a tax refund of $988.50.   Please submit the tax refund request and allow us 3-5 days in order to process it.

Click Refund Me Now to submit your tax refund request.

Note:  A refund can be delayed a variety of reasons, for example submitting invalid records or applying after deadline.

Best Regards

Inland Revenue – Te Tari Taake

If you have received one of these emails, just delete it without clicking on any of the links.

And if you suspect you have responded to a fraudulent email, please call your bank immediately to alert them.

To be safe, always type your bank’s web address (for example www.bnz.co.nz) directly into your browser rather than following a link – and remember your bank will never send emails with links to internet banking login pages nor to pages that ask for personal information.

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