Is it really HMRC?
Official HMRC domains, how well they block forged email, lookalike domains we found, and the scams currently using the HMRC name. Last checked 14 October 2026.
Official HMRC domains
gov.ukReal HMRC emails and websites use these domains or a subdomain of them. Anything else, including addresses that contain the HMRC name, is not HMRC.
Paste the sender's email address, the link, or the website from the message.
Measured from public DNS
Can someone fake a HMRC email?
gov.ukStrong spoof protectionStrong. gov.uk tells receiving mail servers to reject email that fakes an @gov.uk address. Scammers usually switch to lookalike domains instead, so check the domain carefully.
- DMARC policy
- p=reject
- SPF
- -all
- Verified logo in inbox (BIMI)
- No
- Encrypted delivery (MTA-STS)
- No
- Email handled by
- No mail servers published
Strict. Only the servers gov.uk lists may send its email, everything else fails.
DMARC is the rule a domain owner publishes telling mail servers what to do with email that pretends to come from them. The stronger it is, the more likely scammers switch to lookalike domains, which is why the next section matters.
Lookalike domain watch
Domains that imitate HMRC
167
Names checked
48
Registered
36
Owner unknown, active
21
Can receive email
We check misspellings, look-alike characters, and the HMRC name combined with words like “refund”, “rebate”, “tax” across common domain endings. A registered lookalike is not proof of a scam: companies often register typos of their own name to protect customers. But you should never trust a message from one.
Active, owner unknown
| Domain | Website | Registered | First spotted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hmrc.com | Yes | No | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hmrc.org | Yes | Can receive | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hmrc.info | Yes | No | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hmrc.site | Yes | Can receive | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hmrc.app | Yes | No | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hmrc-refund.com | Yes | No | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hmrcrefund.com | Yes | No | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hmrc-rebate.com | Yes | No | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hmrcrebate.com | Yes | No | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hmrctax.com | Yes | No | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hmrcclaim.com | Yes | No | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hmrcgov.com | Yes | No | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hmrc-online.com | Yes | No | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hmrconline.com | Yes | Can receive | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hmrcpenalty.com | Yes | No | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hmrc-service.com | No | Can receive | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hmrcservice.com | No | Can receive | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hhmrc.com | Yes | Can receive | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| mhrc.com | Yes | Can receive | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hrc.com | Yes | Can receive | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hmmrc.com | Yes | Can receive | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hrmc.com | Yes | Can receive | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hmc.com | Yes | Can receive | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hmrrc.com | Yes | Can receive | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hmcr.com | Yes | No | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hmr.com | Yes | Can receive | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hmrcc.com | Yes | No | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hrnrc.com | Yes | Can receive | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hmrctax.info | Yes | No | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hmrcpayment.net | Yes | No | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| verify-hmrc.com | Yes | No | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| service-hmrc.com | Yes | Can receive | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| mhrc.net | Yes | No | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hrmc.net | Yes | Can receive | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hmr.net | Yes | Can receive | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| hmrc-gov.site | No | Can receive | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
Listed as plain text on purpose. Do not visit these domains.
Likely owned by HMRC or a brand-protection service (5)
hmrc-tax.commrc.comhmrc-tax.infoonline-hmrc.comhmrc-online.topParked or for sale (7)
hmrc.nethmrc.xyzhmrc-gov.comhmrctax.onlinehmrc-gov.nethrc.nethmc.netKnow the pattern
Scams using the HMRC name
Messages offering a tax refund or warning of an unpaid penalty, with a link to claim or pay, are the most common HMRC scams. Check your tax account by going to gov.uk yourself.
Government impersonation uses fear: refunds you are owed, penalties you must pay today, or legal action.
A tax refund is waiting
A message says you are owed a refund and asks for bank or card details so it can be paid.
Pay now or face legal action
You are told you owe money or face arrest unless you pay immediately, often by gift card, wire transfer or crypto.
Unpaid toll, fine or vehicle tax
A text says you owe a small toll, fine or tax and must pay through a link today.
From people who received them
Reported HMRC scam messages
No reports published for HMRC yet. If you received one, sharing it helps the next person recognise it.
Step by step
How to check a message that claims to be from HMRC
- 1
Look at the actual sender address, not just the name. Tap or hover over the name to reveal it. It must end in @gov.uk, or a subdomain of one.
- 2
Do not use links or phone numbers from the message. Type gov.uk into your browser or open the official HMRC app, and check your account there.
- 3
Slow down when you see urgency, small fees, gift cards, crypto, or requests for codes and passwords. Those are the levers every scam pulls.
- 4
Still unsure? Paste the sender address or link into the checker above.
Questions
HMRC scam FAQ
What email address does HMRC use?
Genuine HMRC email comes from addresses ending in @gov.uk, or a subdomain of those (for example something@mail.gov.uk). An address on any other domain, even one containing "hmrc", is not HMRC.
Can scammers fake an @gov.uk email address?
Strong. gov.uk tells receiving mail servers to reject email that fakes an @gov.uk address. Scammers usually switch to lookalike domains instead, so check the domain carefully.
Are there websites pretending to be HMRC?
On 14 October 2026 we checked 167 lookalike domain names and found 48 registered. 5 appear to be owned by HMRC or a brand-protection service, 7 are parked or for sale, and 36 could not be linked to HMRC while hosting a website or accepting email. A registered lookalike is not proof of a scam, but any message from one deserves suspicion.
What should I do if I clicked a link in a fake HMRC message?
Do not enter anything else. If you typed a password, change it at gov.uk straight away and turn on two-step sign-in. If you entered card or bank details, call your bank using the number on your card. Then report the message using the guide below.
Help stop it
Where to report a fake HMRC message
United Kingdom
- Forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk
- Forward scam texts to 7726
United States
- Report to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov
- Forward phishing emails to reportphishing@apwg.org
- Forward scam texts to 7726 (SPAM)
Canada
- Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca
- Forward scam texts to 7726
Australia
- Report to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au
- Report cybercrime through ReportCyber at cyber.gov.au
India
- Report at cybercrime.gov.in or call the 1930 helpline
Germany
- Forward phishing emails to the Phishing-Radar at phishing@verbraucherzentrale.nrw
Switzerland
- Report phishing websites at antiphishing.ch
Anywhere
- Report phishing websites to Google Safe Browsing at safebrowsing.google.com
- Tell the company through its official website or app
Government & Tax
Check other companies
Orbiplot is not affiliated with HMRC. This page is generated automatically from public data: DNS records, domain registration data (RDAP) and the Internet Archive. Lookalike domains are listed because they resemble HMRC's name, not because we have confirmed any wrongdoing. If you own a domain listed here and believe it is misclassified, contact us through the site and we will review it.