Fake Tax Office Scams in Luxembourg
Fraudsters impersonate Luxembourg's Administration des contributions directes and TVA offices to extract payments or personal data from residents and cross-border workers.
Part of: Fake Tax Office Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Luxembourg's complex tax landscape — which includes a significant cross-border workforce from France, Belgium, and Germany as well as a large expatriate community — creates genuine uncertainty around tax obligations. Scammers exploit this uncertainty by impersonating the Administration des contributions directes (ACD) or the customs and VAT authority, issuing convincing fake demand letters, emails, and phone calls.
The scam often targets people who have recently arrived in Luxembourg or who are navigating their first tax filing as cross-border commuters, since these groups are less familiar with how genuine government communications look and feel.
How this scam works on Luxembourg
Victims receive official-looking emails, letters, or SMS messages claiming to be from the ACD or TVA, stating that unpaid taxes will result in immediate legal action, asset seizure, or criminal prosecution unless payment is made within 24–48 hours. Links in emails direct victims to spoofed government websites that harvest bank details.
In phone-based variants, a caller claims to be a tax inspector and uses pressure tactics — demanding immediate bank transfer, prepaid card, or cryptocurrency payment. Some callers already hold partial personal data (such as the victim's name or employer) sourced from data breaches or social-engineering, making the call feel credible.
Cross-border workers are particularly targeted near the April or December tax deadlines when anxiety about tax filings is highest.
Common red flags
- Demand for immediate payment within 24–48 hours via bank transfer, gift card, or cryptocurrency.
- Threats of immediate arrest or asset seizure for alleged unpaid tax.
- An email link leads to a site that is not the official acd.public.lu or guichet.lu domain.
- The caller refuses to provide an official reference number you can verify through official channels.
- Payment is requested by any method other than the official government payment portal.
- The message arrives in English only — genuine ACD communications are in French, German, or Luxembourgish.
How to protect yourself
- Hang up immediately if a caller threatens arrest or demands instant payment — this is not how the ACD operates.
- Access your tax account only through the official guichet.lu portal, never via links in emails or SMS.
- Call the ACD directly on its published number to verify any demand before paying anything.
- Never pay taxes via gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfer to a private account.
- Consult a registered fiduciary or tax adviser if you are unsure about a tax demand.
- Register for MyGuichet to receive official tax correspondence electronically through a verified channel.
How to report it
- Report the fake communication to the ACD via its official contact page and to Luxembourg Police.
- Forward phishing emails to the national CIRCL (Computer Incident Response Centre Luxembourg) at [email protected].
- File a complaint with the Luxembourg Police Grand-Ducale cybercrime unit.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Luxembourg tax office ever call and demand immediate payment?
No. The ACD sends formal written notices and provides a reasonable payment period. Any call demanding immediate payment by unusual methods is fraudulent.