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# Scam
Revenue scam warning: Here's what fraudulent tax websites can look like
Scam sites copy details from authentic websites in an attempt to con unsuspecting users out of important personal information.
THE REVENUE COMMISSIONERS is warning people against providing their personal banking or financial information online after receiving unsolicited emails or text messages purporting to be from the Revenue.
One known scam is for texts or emails to direct people to fake websites replicating the layout and basic design of the Revenue site.
These scam sites then request personal details from users under the guise of asking them to sign in or log in with that information.
Here is how one such scam site looks in comparison to the real thing:
And the authentic Revenue.ie site:
What should you do?
The Revenue Commissioners says that texts directing people to these fake websites are not generated by the real Revenue website and do not involve their systems and security: “Revenue never sends unsolicited text messages.”
The Revenue has a security advice section on its website which it updates regularly.
The tax service advises:
Anyone who receives an unsolicited text message purporting to be from Revenue and suspects it to be fraudulent or a scam should simply delete it. Anyone who is actually awaiting a tax refund should contact their local Revenue Office to check its status.Anyone who provided personal information in response to these fraudulent text messages should contact their bank or credit card company immediately.
If you receive an email or text message purporting to be from the Revenue and which you suspect to be a scam, you can report it to webmaster@revenue.ie.
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