Shoalhaven Police have issued a warning about an alleged scam involving the Australian Taxation Office.
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Police have received information in relation to the phone scam targeting residents in the local area where the caller states they are from the Australian Taxation Office.
The caller indicates the homeowner has committed tax fraud and as a result, now has a tax debt.
They say there is a warrant for the resident’s immediate arrest unless they arrange for immediate payment.
This is a scam so do not provide any personal details to the caller.
Key indicators of this scam are:
- you are threatened with immediate arrest.
- the caller uses an aggressive tone.
- you are asked to pay via non-legitimate payment methods such as iTunes gift cards (see How to pay for legitimate payment methods).
You should also contact your bank or financial institution if you think a scammer has your credit card details.
How to report a scam
If you think you are a victim of a tax-related scam, phone us on 1800 008 540 (8am–6pm, Monday–Friday). You should do this as soon as possible.
If you receive a suspicious email claiming to be from the ATO, do not click on any links, open attachments or respond to the sender.
Forward the entire email to ReportEmailFraud@ato.gov.au without changing or adding any additional information and delete from your inbox and sent folder.
The ATO will never:
- threaten you with immediate arrest.
- ask you to pay money to receive a refund or payment.
- ask you to pay a debt via iTunes vouchers, or pre-paid credit card or store gift cards.
- ask you to provide personal information, such as your tax file number (TFN) or credit card number, via email or SMS.
- ask you to pay money into a personal bank account.
- direct you to download files from the internet, or open attachments in unsolicited emails.