In my determination to avoid falling victim to email and phone scams purporting to be from HM Revenue and Customs, I found myself ignoring the genuine ones. They sounded so much like scammers, I couldn’t tell the difference, and have had to pay £300 in late payment penalties and interest. After completing my tax return last May, I ignored automated reminders by email and voicemail telling me to pay the balance due. As a good green citizen, I’d agreed to turn paper communications off.
Maybe you could warn readers to listen to the automated, robotic voice messages they receive from HMRC and check for themselves whether there is a real balance on their account.
MM, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire
Scammers masquerade as organisations from almost every sector, so it’s increasingly difficult to distinguish between the genuine and fake. In fact, it seems the messages you received may have been both. While HMRC did email you about a £5,000 debt, it says it never leaves automated voice messages.
The crucial rule is to never click on a link in an unexpected text or email, or make a payment to a cold caller. Instead, go on to your online account, or call the company to check. HMRC says it does contact customers in relation to their tax, but adds: “If you are concerned, check gov.uk for our scams checklist to find out how to report tax scams and for information on how to recognise genuine HMRC contact.
Email your.problems@observer.co.uk. Include an address and phone number. Submission and publication are subject to our terms and conditions.
