Please beware of fake telephone calls from scammers claiming that they are calling on behalf of the Australian Tax Office (ATO). The recipients of the fake calls will be threaten my the callers, who will claim that they need to pay their outstanding ATO debt or else, they will be arrested or reported to the police. The callers will then ask their potential victims for their credit card and personal information in order to make payment. If the requested information is given to the scammers, they will use the victims' credit card and personal information fraudulently.
The ATO will never ask for credit card and personal information over the phone or via an email message under any circumstances. So, do not panic when someone calls you claiming that you are going to be arrested or reported to the police, if you do not provide them with your personal information, credit card information or make payment via Western Union, MoneyGram, Prepaid Debit Card or some other forms of money transfer service.
If you have received a call regarding any ATO issues and are in doubt, you may contact the ATO using the information on their website. Click here to contact them.
If you are already a victim of the scam, please report it to your bank and the police.