A recent upsurge in fraudulent activity has plagued Australian taxpayers, continuing an already existing trend that takes advantage of people’s fears. Scammers have been impersonating the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), conning hundreds of people out of their savings. In 2020, Australians lost a reported $11.8 million to such incidents.
The ATO states that impersonators have tricked people by calling them and saying that their tax file number (TFN) has been involved in illegal activities, and that their number has therefore been suspended.
To resolve this issue, say the conmen, the victims must either pay a fine, or transfer all their money into a holding account to prevent any further misuse. Sometimes, the scammers threaten immediate arrest or a visit by police to pressure their victims. These tactics have been used for decades, and continue to convince many unsuspecting victims to hand over their money.
Part of the conmen’s success comes from knowing who to target – namely vulnerable groups of people such as newly arrived migrants and the elderly. This strategy tends to produce a low number of victims, yet a severe loss per victimised individual.
Moreover, in-person meetings have also been used on several occasions. The Victoria Police, for example, reported that one unfortunate person fell prey to impersonators, transferring $44,500 into various accounts – and then handed over an additional $25,000 in cash to scammers whom they met in person.
The ATO urges Australians to remain vigilant, given the recent upsurge in scamming. The organisation wishes to remind the public that it will not suspend people’s TFNs, or request a money transfer to a personal bank account. If you receive a suspicious call of the sort described above, the best response is to hang up and phone the ATO on 1800 008 540 to investigate further.