Scams on and using the ATO (ATO Scams)

Another grubby ATO scam which really goes over the top to fool their victims.

3 Likes

Quite sophisticated - sounds as if her phone had already been completely compromised (which means she is lucky that she only lost what she did) - but um “requested $1,500 in the form of a Google Play card”? Surely that should have rung alarm bells? You can say plenty of bad things about the ATO but they don’t demand or accept payment in random “phone cards” - and there have been notices about that in supermarkets and elsewhere for many months if not years.

4 Likes

Agree. Even if the call sounded genuine, this should have immediately identified that it was a fraud.

One should only pay the ATO using their approved payment methods: See


(Note: Payment by Google Pay Cards, Western Union Transfer, Apple Cards etc, is not one of them).

Maybe the ATO should place a note on all issued notices (such as Notices of Assessment) the approved forms of payment and that others such as gift cards are not used and indicate a scam if payment is requested using such methods
 They should also say that any payment should only used the methods outlined on the Notice or website.

3 Likes

Having just been audited in the past couple of months, I can well remember that awful panicked feeling. It makes it hard to concentrate, first thought in the morning, last thought at night. I can well understand this lady’s reaction.

3 Likes

Wouldn’t they notify in writing of an audit?

If anyone called me up to declare that they are auditing me, I would hang up on them as an unauthenticated caller.

3 Likes

When we were in business, we had 2 audits in the 1990’s, and the ATO phoned me on both occassions to advise of the audit and the date and time.

Both were triggered by fasle complaints made by former dishonest employees.

Fortunately we were squeaky clean.

3 Likes

Yes they do, but the OP ‘news’ article seems to indicate that the scammers are now saying that the registered ATO post hasn’t been collected and why they are calling. They are cottoning on to media from the ATO to try and keep one step ahead.

1 Like

Just entertaining the scammers for a moment 
 that isn’t exactly how registered post works. If it is delivered then you will know it and the ATO will know it. If it isn’t delivered, that isn’t your problem - it’s between the ATO and AusPost. (I suppose the situation could arise where you are anticipating bad stuff from the ATO and hence decline to accept delivery of registered post, but in that situation you are hardly likely to fall for an ATO phone scam.)

3 Likes

The notification was in writing, all details were correct and could have only been supplied to the Tax Dept. by particular organization. However, the contact person was Indian whom I had trouble understanding. All things considered, I was still feeling rather rattled. I contacted an accountant and he pursued the matter for me.

4 Likes

The latest on the grubby ATO scam.

How could anyone with any ethics work for these grubs?

image

1 Like

I guess you are referring to accent?

The ATO like most Govt departments is an equal opportunity employer, or something like that. It’s a given Australians speak English with a multitude of different accents. It can be challenging. I’m patient. I also might have had the same ATO service rep on a call earlier this week. We got the job done. (This may help to ensure the goat curry from the local is equally authentic?)

Across several G-Grandparents, Jordies, Scots who spoke little English natively, Irish, some one from near Manchester and a couple from the wild south west of Devon, the problem of understanding each other is not a recent challenge here.

Important Note:
I too would tend to be sceptical of any supposed phone call from the ATO without some prior arranged contact.

Of audits and the like, once you enter the ATO business portal or individual ATO site through MyGov any key correspondence is being delivered through those sites. It’s also where once you log in any outstanding demands for documents or payments can be accessed directly. It may be registering as appropriate is a good and useful protection.

3 Likes

Another version of the ATO scam.

These scumbags are unbelivable.

image

5 Likes

Should they visit me I will proudly point out that they are on camera and the ‘tape’ will be duly forwarded to the police and ATO, best done from behind locked security doors.

6 Likes

Another article regarding the ATO now even treating the Federal Parliament with contempt.

discuss the affairs of individuals

Potentially misleading text though as someone could think that someone’s tax affairs were discussed in parliament, when this is not the case.

The other side of the coin is that if he is evasive and unresponsive in his answers then he will be accused of being evasive and unresponsive (and that may be contempt of parliament).

At the end of the day, the public’s right to know - and the parliament’s right to scrutinise - what the hell is going on in the ATO meant that in my opinion what he said is OK.

Another victim scammed for over $8,000 by some scumbag.

Hopefully the CCTV images will provide him with free board and accomodation.

3 Likes

Yet one has to wonder how an apparently normal 41 year old (since there is nothing to indicate to the contrary in the article) would fall for this well publicised and obvious (iTunes cards to pay taxes!) scam that comes ‘to market’ every year.

As long as there are people there will be lowlife grubs scamming people, and what they do will be widely publicised. Catching them after the fact does not always (more accurately rarely) provide restitution.

Unfortunately there is only so much that can be done to eliminate the perps and educate the gullible people they prey on.

5 Likes

It is gobsmacking. I believe there are even warnings in supermarkets in order to discourage people from buying up thousands of dollars of iTunes cards to give to the ATO. I don’t know whether there is also a warning from the checkout computer but that is something that the supermarkets could do voluntarily. Yes, I know it is accommodating stupid but 


3 Likes

Maybe the ATO wants their staff to be able to buy one of their business anthems so they can listen to at will


2 Likes

To wit (from my local supermarket):

3 Likes