The most common scams reported to the ATO are phone calls where the scammer demands payment for a fake tax debt and emails requesting personal information or a fee to release a refund. These scammers use sophisticated techniques to get your money or data and use a variety of methods such as replicating the ATO branding in emails in order to appear legitimate.
There are five simple ways to protect yourself:
Know What to Protect
Always protect your personal information, full name, date of birth, current address, bank account numbers, credit card details, tax file number, drivers licence, passport details and any passwords.
Keep Personal Information Safe and Secure
Once stolen, personal information is difficult to get back and you run the risk of identity theft. Don’t store things like your tax file number or birth certificate on your phone, or carry them around in your wallet/purse/handbag.
Don’t Share Too Much on Social Media
Scammers target information published on social networking sites to steal identities. If you see someone sharing personal information online remind them that they could be putting themselves at risk of targeted attacks. Make sure your profile is set to “private” and be cautious about which friend requests you accept.
Be Suspicious of Requests for Personal Information
Be cautious of requests for your personal information. Scammers can be believable and will sometimes quote personal information to sound authentic. So if someone is asking for personal information consider the possibility that it may be a scam. To check if a call, email or SMS is from the ATO call them on 1800 008 540 or call your tax agent.
Know Legitimate Ways to Make Payments
Scammers may use threatening tactics to trick people into paying false debts in pre-paid gift cards or by sending money to non-ATO bank accounts. To check if a payment method is legitimate, a list can be found on the ATO website that outlines methods when dealing with them. Visit ATO Website
