ISSUE NO. 1435
3 - 9 JANUARY 2013
WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.ES
Expat discovers tax rebate a fraud
A New Year scam alert
A NEW YEAR alert has gone out over an ongoing online UK tax scam! For while email seasonal greetings and cards were being exchanged by thousands of expat families in Spain, fraudsters were once more circulating messages purporting to be from the UK tax authorities to trick expatriates into revealing their bank details. What Costa del Sol resident Rita Arnold thought might be a tax rebate bonus has since been confirmed as a huge scam. She received an email that looked totally authentic from what she thought were the tax authorities stating that she was owed £300 (€372). They requested she fill in a form with her account number, how much money was in her credit card account, and also passwords. Clearly had she provided the details as requested, instead of receiving a £300
(€372) payment to her account, she would have found it rifled by the scam originators. Mrs Arnold decided to check the email with her lawyer son and he immediately identified it as a fraud. She is not the only British expatriate to have received such scam attempts. Six months ago Siobhan Hutton* of Benalmadena received an email seemingly carrying an HM Revenue and Customs letterhead with the subject ‘Unclaimed Tax Refund Notification’. But something did not seem quite right with the email, even though at first glance it appeared authentic. So Mrs Hutton phoned the British tax authorities with regard to the possible £239.41 (€300) rebate. And she was immediately warned it was a scam. “They asked me to forward the email Turn to Page 5
FLASHBACK: Shoppers out seeking bargains at last year’s winter sales.
All geared-up for the winter sales
TRADERS are now gearing up hoping for a business bonanza when the annual winter sales open on Monday. Shoppers able to splash the
Mayor blasts ‘shameful’ binmen REFUSE COLLECTORS who went on strike have been branded ‘shameful’ after a spate of vandalism. During the strike, bins were set on fire or
overturned, rubbish trucks were damaged and paint, plaster and glass were thrown at local schools. The local mayor, Francisco Salado, laid the
blame on the workers, and said their behaviour was shameful and showed an anti-democratic attitude. “A strike doesn’t give anyone the right to
endanger other people,” he said, “especially not children, nor damage public property.” The week-long rubbish strike in Rincon de la Victoria also angered residents and business owners. Locals in areas including Parque Victoria, Benagalbon, Torre de Benagalbon, El Cantal, El Castillon and La Cala del Moral complained that several days after the strike had been called off there were still full containers and refuse on the streets which attracted rats. President of the Business Association (ACERV) Jose Antonio Villodres said more care had been taken to clean up the town centre.
cash - or with plans to hit their credit cards will find many bargains, with discounts of up to 70 per cent. Shops hope - Page 3
FRONT EXTRA
Sweet plan A GROUP has been set up to demand that plans for the Sugar Museum go ahead at the old sugar factory instead of the Innovation and Business Management Centre proposed by the local Conservative Partido Popular.
Tasty crumbs TORROX held the 31st edition of its ‘Crumbs Day’, attended by 30,000 people with a love for ‘migas’ made with flour, water, olive oil, garlic and salt.