How to remove HM Revenue & Customs Outstanding Amount virus

HM Revenue & Customs Outstanding Amount virus is a scam email message that delivers TrickBot banking trojan

HMRC virus is a malspam campaign recently spotted by security researchers. The fake message informs users that outstanding amount of money needs to be paid to HM Revenue and Customs (an official UK's tax office). “For more details,” victims are either prompted to click on the attachment which comes in a .doc format or to click on a link which brings them to the bogus error message that prompts to download the trojan. The goal of bad actors is clear – they want to infect computers with dangerous malware, which can help them illegally obtain victim's money. Users who get tricked by this phishing email will end up with a banking trojan^[1] TrickBot installed on their devices.

Spam emails are the most popular tools that bring various malware into machines. Users can get infected with ransomware,^[2] banking trojans, spyware, crypto-miners and other malicious threats. Therefore, security experts^[3] always recommend staying away from such emails and be extremely cautious while opening emails from unknown sources. If you are careless and opened the attachment already, read on to find out how to remove HM Revenue & Customs Outstanding Amount virus from your computer.

The fake message states the following:

From: HM Revenue & Customs <no-reply@hmrcmailgov.uk>

Date: Tue 26/06/2018 11:47

Subject: Important : Outstanding Amount

Outstanding Amount £31,369.64

Date                  26 June 2018
Our ref               2389890:00041273:002

You do not appear to have paid the full amount due as shown on the attached Statement of Liabilities.

Please follow this link for more details.

https://payert-gov.uk/sidp/form?=victiom@victimsdomain.com&?n2389890KJBDS*(@WWWW

About this notice
If you agree the amount is due , then you need to pay in full now. Go to www.hmrc.gov.uk/payert/index.htm

It is possible that this E-mail has been received by you in error. If so, please note that it may contain confidential information, and we ask that you notify the author by replying to it, then delete it immediately, and take no further action as a result of receiving it. Although we take care by ensuring that any files attached to E-mails sent from our office have been checked with up-to-date virus detection software, you should carry out your own virus check before opening any attachment. We accept no liability for any loss or damage which may be caused by software viruses.

All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Criminals use sophisticated social engineering to deceive unsuspecting victims and gain financial benefit. As you can see, there are several reasons why anyone could fall victim to HM Revenue & Customs Outstanding Amount spam:

• Virtually identical Logo and styling of a reputable governamental institution
• A believable “From” address
• No grammar or spelling mistakes

As evident, the UK Government department has nothing to do with HMRC outstanding Amount virus. Because the email allegedly comes from a reputable organization, users can easily get confused and click on the hyperlink or the malicious attachment. 

Those who proceed with the scam, inject machines with a TrickBot virus. This malware hijacks users' browsers and displays a fake version of the online banking web page. Thus, as soon as users enter their credentials, the recorded data is sent to cybercriminals, which can use it for identity theft or money stealing. Therefore, the infected machine can lead to great financial losses and compromised virtual safety.

The most important thing is to take care of HM Revenue & Customs Outstanding Amount virus removal before it can inflict any damage. However, it is not possible to accomplish without a reputable anti-malware tool, as the virus is complicated and is deeply embedded within system files. We recommend scanning the contaminated machine with FortectIntego or SpyHunterCombo Cleaner – these tools can take care of everything automatically.

It is not the first time cybercriminals are spreading TrickBot. It was also linked to delivering the infamous WannaCry ransomware back in 2017. As users become more aware of cyber threats, hackers also seek new ways to distribute malicious software, and they will not stop as long as there is some money to gain.

Don't open suspicious emails and avoid computer infections

Typically adware delivers intrusive adverts and other sponsored content. In HMRC spam's case, any user can get the phishing email delivered into their mailbox. Thus, even if you are the most careful person on the planet, you can still receive this malware-infested email. 

What is more, spam emails are as well used to deliver other malicious files, such as ransomware or spyware. It is a nasty type of infections which should not be treated lightly, as they can lead to permanent deletion of personal files. Thus it is imperative to not click on anything inside the fake email message.

There are several preventing actions that might stop the virus. First of all, many email providers have a built-in scanner that can flag up the phishing emails. Additionally, MS Office documents from 2010 and newer are equipped with the “Protected View” feature, which would prevent malware from installing itself.

Nevertheless, there is still a chance the malicious payload could get into your machine. Therefore, be careful online: install anti-spyware software, keep regular backups, update your software and OS whenever new patches come out and do not carelessly open every email thrown at you.

Eliminate HM Revenue & Customs Outstanding Amount spam virus from your device

In order to remove HM Revenue & Customs Outstanding Amount virus, you should download and install powerful security software. We recommend using FortectIntego or SpyHunterCombo Cleaner. These tools can find even the most stubborn malware and get rid of it. What is more, this procedure only takes a few minutes. However, trojan horses might sometimes prevent proper operation of the anti-malware software. In such case, enter Safe Mode with Networking as explained below, and perform a full system scan.

We must warn you that you should not attempt manual HM Revenue & Customs Outstanding Amount removal. If malware gets installed on your system, it is already too late, and you need to seek to use professional tools for safe elimination of malware.