ATO SCAMS – BE AWARE!

Astoundingly, the ATO reports that during July and August it received more than 7000 scam reports to its dedicated phone line, with close to $190,000 being paid to scammers, and more than 1600 people handing over their personal or financial information.

The latest scams you need to be aware of with regards to ATO debt are:

Scammers sending fake ATO emails claiming they don’t have credit/debit card details stored.

The email instructs the recipients to login to a fake site called ‘ATO Office Portal’ or ‘ATO Gateway Portal’. The site asks for information including online banking credentials, credit card numbers and limits and personal address information.

Do not click on the link and do not disclose the information requested.  Delete the email immediately.

Scammers calling people claiming to be from the ATO and demanding payment of a ‘debt’.
 
In the example provided by the ATO, the person pretending to be from the ATO dialled the victim’s tax agent into a three-way teleconference; however, it wasn’t the victim’s tax agent, it was someone pretending to be from the agent’s practice. The person then instructed the victim to pay the ‘debt’ on that day.

Never give anyone your personal or financial information via phone. 

If you do receive contact from someone purporting to be from the ATO, refer the matter to our office immediately and we will check whether a “debt” is genuine.  Do not give personal or financial information to anyone you don’t know.