Yahoo Finance Criminals break into Australian tax system
The tax details of Australians may be at risk after criminals reportedly stole the identity of a number of tax agents and broke into the Tax Agent Portal.
A warning sent to tax agents countrywide explained criminals may have acquired unauthorised AUSkeys that allow access to the Tax Agent Portal and taxpayers' information.
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“We are working with the directly affected tax agents and assisting them to protect their online security. Online fraud can be complex and multi-layered. We are investigating the incident and will update you as necessary,” a statement on Institute of Book Keepers website read.
“While we are confident we have contained the immediate threat, there are some precautions you should take to be certain your practice's information is secure,” it said.
The warning urges all tax agents who hold the administrator AUSkey to review the AUSkeys registered to the practice and offers instructions for the same. Read the instructions here.
A Fairfax report claims the Tax Office has uncovered at least four tax agents who had their personal identity stolen but it’s not known if the four are small or large tax agents and how many clients they have.
If you need further assistance in cancelling unauthorised AUSkeys, phone 1300 146 094 Fast Key Code 1 1 1.
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