As most of you should hopefully know by now, there are MANY ATO scam calls going around Australia from automated voice messages to real people impersonating your accountant or tax agent.
Recently the ATO have been made aware of the current scam calls which involve a pre-recorded call impersonating the ATO and threatening Australian Taxpayers with an immediate arrest for unpaid tax debt.
The absolute worst part about this is the scammers are using a technology known as ‘spoofing’ which shows a genuine ATO phone number on the caller ID. This is scary!
If you have given your personal information to a scammer, or have made a payment to a scammer, please call the ATO’s dedicated scam line on 1800 008 540.
A few points to keep in mind regarding these calls, the ATO will NEVER:
- issue a pre-recorded message (robocall) to their phone
- present a phone number on caller ID
- threaten immediate arrest, jail or deportation for unpaid tax debts
- demand immediate payment of a tax debt by direct credit to a personal bank account, via iTunes or Google Play cards, pre-paid Visa cards, or cryptocurrency
- refuse to allow them to speak with a trusted advisor or regular tax agent
- attempt to keep them on the line until they make a payment.
So if you are the recipient of one of these calls, please remember this:
- DO NOT share personal details such as your tax file number, date of birth, credit card or bank details, unless you know you can trust the person they are dealing with.
- ensure you are aware of the status of your tax affairs. You can check this by calling our office on (08) 9248 8124 or contact the ATO directly on 1800 467 033.
