Yahoo Finance ‘Be wary’: Police warning after woman loses $22k to ATO scam
Australians have been warned to be on their guard after a Sydney woman lost $22,000 to a scammer posing as the Australian Tax Office (ATO).
Liverpool Police Area Command is now investigating the case after the 42-year-old woman received a phone call from the scammer who said they were from the ATO.
After the phone call on Monday morning, the woman believed she owed the ATO money and would be contacted by a police officer.
Soon after, the woman received another call from a man claiming to be a police officer.
Concerningly, the number displayed on the caller identification matched that of the local police station.
The scammer told her to withdraw $22,000 in cash and deliver it to him.
The woman did so, handing over the money at a shopping centre car park the same day.
“As part of ongoing inquiries, detectives would like to speak to a man who may be able to assist with their inquiries,” the police said in a statement.
“Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.”
Police said the man was described as being of Indian or sub-continental appearance.
And they called on the community to watch out for other potential phone scammers.
“Always be wary of unsolicited phone calls, legitimate businesses don’t just call customers and ask for confidential information,” the police said.
Additionally, be suspicious of unsolicited callers asking for personal details and never hand over credit card, personal or online account details over the phone.
“Don’t let scammers press your buttons – scammers use detailed scripts to convince you that they’re the real deal and create a high-pressure situation to make a decision on the spot.”
If you have doubts about whether you’re talking to a legitimate person or business, contact that body directly.
“Don’t rely on contact details provided by the person – find them through an independent source such as a phone book or online search.”
ATO scams increasing
According to Scamwatch, scams like these have been on the rise during 2020.
In fact, in the first six months of the year, it saw 2,389 reports of scammers impersonating the ATO with combined losses of $905,000.
It reminded Australians that the ATO will never threaten them with immediate arrest, or speak in a threatening manner.
The ATO said that while anyone can be a target, no one has to be a victim.
These are the ATO’s top tips for staying scam-safe:
If you are unsure about whether a call, text message or email is genuine, don’t reply. Instead, you can phone the ATO’s dedicated scam line 1800 008 540 to check if it was legitimate. You can also report a scam online at ato.gov.au/reportascam.
Know legitimate ways to make payments - scammers may use threatening tactics to trick their victims into paying false debts via pre-paid gift cards or by sending money to non-ATO bank accounts. To check that a payment method is legitimate, visit ato.gov.au/howtopay
Know your tax affairs – We will inform you about your tax debt before it is due. Check if you have a legitimate debt owed by logging into your MyGov account or by calling your tax agent if you have one (on a number sourced independently)
Guard your personal and financial information – be careful when clicking on links, downloading files or opening attachments. Only give your personal information to people you trust, and try not to share it on social media.
Talk to your family and friends about scams - if you or someone you know has fallen victim to a tax related scam, call the ATO as soon as you can.
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