Is HMRC getting too hip?

In their attempts to contact "customers" in different ways, HMRC is also opening up new ways for scammers and phishers to try and get hold of confidential information.

Apparently HMRC now send out emails to taxpayers, but we are assured that they never ask us for credit card or similar details. My experience of HMRC emails is that they always ask me to ring them back on a premium rate number (beginning 0845), because of the security risk of actually saying anything in an email to me.

They have gone one step further now and are sending out SMS text messages. How? Where did they get my mobile phone number from? I don't even know what my mobile phone number is. Again the message asks you to call them back (on an 0845 number) The problem is that anyone can send you a text saying they are from the tax man and can then get you to pay for the phone call that allows them to rip you off!

Perhaps HMRC could take their "customer" approach a step further and offer 0800 numbers instead of 0845 numbers - that would put off the scammers.

Or maybe they could actually telephone us rather than sending voicemail messages.But no - that would not work - how could we possibly get them to verify that they are genuinely from HMRC - could they tell us the date of the last letter they wrote to us or the amount they think we owe on the most recent tax statement? The only answer would be to call them back and the chances of being put through to the person who has called you is probably very slim!

If you think this is a joke, have a look at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/security/index.htm and the related links.