HMRC issues urgent Microsoft alert - ‘stop and think’

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HMRC has issued an urgent Microsoft alert following a day-long global outage. The incident stopped access to Outlook, Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, and Copilot across more than 70…

HMRC has issued an urgent Microsoft alert following a day-long global outage. The incident stopped access to Outlook, Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, and Copilot across more than 70 countries. HMRC has since taken to social media to warn customers, urging them to "stop and think".

According to the government department, there have been a rise in scam calls following the outage on Friday (November 13). They have urged people to never hand over personal information on a phone call, text or email.

"Always stop and think if a request is genuine before sharing personal information. If you’re unsure, don't give any information out and report it to us."

HMRC has an online checklist to decide if the contact you've received is a scam. It may be a scam if it rushes you, is threatening, is unexpected, asks for personal information like bank details, tells you to transfer money, or offers a refund, tax rebate or grant.

They add that HMRC will never leave a voicemail threatening legal action or arrest. Equally, they will never use social media to offer a tax rebate, or request personal or financial information.

HMRC added: "HMRC does send text messages to some of our customers. In the text message we might include a link to GOV.UK information or to HMRC webchat.

"We advise you not to open any links or reply to a text message claiming to be from HMRC that offers you a tax refund in exchange for personal or financial details."

They continued: "If you cannot verify an account claiming to be HMRC, do not reply or share any information." The department will never ask you to pay with gift or payment vouchers.

Microsoft confirmed the recent outage was caused by a technical configuration error stemming from a network capacity upgrade. They ruled out a cybersecurity breach or issues related to its AI systems.

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