Victor Muscat writes:

'I refer to a letter featured on September 28 about a scam on requests for payment for unsolicited adverts and enclose copies of similar invoices with the accompanying booklet covers received by our company in February and October 2003 from A.C.M. Productions and Assunta College of Music, both quoting PO Box 64, Valletta CMR 01 and signed by Dr Kav. Josef Grech and Dr Kav. Mro Josef Grech and Denise Grech respectively.

'In the first instance we also received a letter in April 2003, threatening us with legal action should our remittance not be received within three days. After writing back to A.C.M. Productions, asking them to supply us with details of when and who authorised the advert in question, nothing more was heard from them. In the case of the invoice sent in October by the Assunta College of Music, we called a mobile number quoted on the invoice and discovered this did not exist.

'Our accountant faxed the latter invoice to the VAT Department which informed us that:

1. Assunta College of Music was not registered with the VAT Department;

2. Since VAT is charged on advertising, the amount should have appeared on the invoice but did not;

3. Contrary to regulations, the invoice is not numbered;

4. The VAT registration number on the invoice is false and pertains to a household appliances dealer;

5. The VAT Department would be looking into this matter.

'This case seemed to end there; however, in June 2005 we received another invoice accompanied by a booklet with a cover showing a religious theme from J&D Publishers with PO Box, Valletta, CMR 01 for an address. We also ignored this request for payment (€58.23), but this time the matter stopped there and we haven't heard anything yet.'