Ever since the invention of the Internet, there has always been a wide variety of scams floating around. A popular type of scam that we see frequently is people trying to pose as the tax office and claim non-existent debts from members of the public. Remember the iTunes gift card ATO scam?
Recently, we have noticed scams getting far more intelligent and troubling. It’s quite worrying to see that SMSs and emails are being sent out with links to fake myGov websites that look very realistic.
Passive people can easily be fooled by a website that has a convincing appearance. The phony website will often ask for your private details, and then the scammer is able to clean out your bank account or hack into your credit card.
These moral-less scammers are even targeting Australian bushfire victims, which is horrifying to hear.
To avoid getting scammed, you need to stay vigilant with all of your online activity. The ATO will never ask for you to confirm your details or apply for a refund via SMS or email. Therefore, you should never be putting any financial details through a text message or email link.
If you’ve got any questions about dodgy text messages, you should always speak to your tax agent before taking any further action. Certified tax accountants know what is and is not genuine communication from the ATO.
