THE Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is warning the public to be aware of a phone scam that is again circulating where fraudsters are intimidating people into paying a fake tax debt over the phone.
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The aggressive scam attempts to force people to pay a fake tax debt over the phone by threatening arrest if they don’t comply.
The Register has had at least one report of this scam operating in the Shoalhaven.
Assistant commissioner Thomas Ryan said the ATO would never contact taxpayers about a debt in this threatening manner and urged people to protect their personal details.
“We take your privacy seriously. We urge you to be alert to these types of scams and never send money or give your financial details to someone you don’t know and trust,” Mr Ryan said.
“If you do have a tax debt we encourage you to contact us early on 13 11 42 so we can discuss your circumstances.”
If people receive a call from the ATO and are concerned about providing their personal information over the phone, they should ask for the caller’s name and phone them back through the ATO’s switchboard on 13 28 69.
If people think they may have fallen victim to a phone scam, they can contact the ATO on 1800 060 062 (8am–6pm, Monday to Friday).
For more information and examples of recent scams, visit the ATO website or scamwatch.gov.
au.