Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-01-18.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance his Department provides to partner organisations on using the HM Revenue and Customs logo in such a way as to make it clear to consumers the difference between legitimate partner organisations and scam websites.

Mr David Gauke

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has strict brand guidelines around the use of its logo. Only in very occasional circumstances will it allow a third-party supplier to use the HMRC logo alongside its own, when it is providing direct services to customers on behalf of HMRC.

HMRC is among the most phished brands in the world and is constantly vigilant against the fraudulent use of its logo and brand. Where such misuse is identified, HMRC will take a range of actions to protect customers from fraud, including:

• demanding the removal of the logo by the third party
• legal action
• working with internet service providers to remove websites
• proactively publicising to customers when new phishing websites are found
  • providing publicity advice to keep safe online.

  Since July 2014, HMRC has closed 22,210 fake websites.

  The Government also provides guidance on gov.uk on the types of genuine communication that customers can expect from the department.