Taxpayers are being warned amidst an increase in scam activities around tax time. The ATO are reminding taxpayers of suggested ways to protect themselves against identity crimes, and advising how to report scams.
The number of scams being reported has increased in September. There is also a new scam method, when the fraudsters initiate a three-way telephone conversation between the scammer, the victim, and another scammer impersonating the victim’s tax agent.
According to the ATO, the most common scam is the “fake tax debt” phone scam, though the “fake refund” and “refund for a fee” scams, together with the use of emails and SMS to phish for personal and financial information, are also on the rise. It is noted that there is a distinct increase in the level of scam sophistication.
Source: Australian Tax Week Issue 36
