Many Australians believe they would never fall victim to a scam and could confidently spot one or know what to do if they were targeted. However, scammers are becoming more sophisticated in their attempts to trick people into paying money or providing personal information.
We note that the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will never:
Call demanding immediate payment or threaten individuals with arrest.
Conference call in a third party such as tax agents or law enforcement.
Prevent individuals from discussing their tax affairs with the tax agent or a trusted advisor.
Request payment of a debt via iTunes, Google Play cards, other vouchers or cryptocurrency.
Ask individuals to pay their tax debt into a bank account not held by the Reserve Bank of Australia.
If you receive any suspicious calls or emails and are unsure that the communications are genuine we recommended to not engage further. You can phone the ATO scam hotline on 1800 008 540 or visit ato.gov.au/scams to verify the contact is legitimate.
Please feel free to also contact our office for further information.