Beware of ATO Phone Scams

Beware about phone scams both landline and mobile phone, where people call you claiming that they are from the ATO (Australian Taxation Office) asking for your personal details.

Signs of a Potential ATO Scam Call

Some of the ways to spot a potential ATO scam call are:

• They refuse to allow you to speak with a trusted advisor or your regular tax agent.
• They are aggressive and/or threaten that you will be arrested and sent to jail if you don’t pay.
• They demand or ask for immediate payment through unusual means such as bitcoin, pre-paid credit cards, or gift cards, or transfer money into an account with a BSB that is not held with the Reserve Bank of Australia.
• They stay on the phone with you while you go to the bank, post office, or shops to make a payment.
• They ask for payment through unusual methods such as iTunes gift cards or other prepaid cards.

The ATO provides a list of ways to identify a scam here.

You can verify or report a scam to the actual ATO at this link, you can also directly call them on 1800 008 450 Monday to Friday (8:00 am to 6:00 pm AEST). You can also keep up to date about new scam alerts by subscribing to the ATO for direct email updates at this page.

Also, be aware that the ATO will never ask you for Gift Cards as payment.