I was so wary of being tricked I ignored the messages and now face a big tax bill
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
