POLICE have warned against scammers impersonating authorities, including police and the Australian Tax Office (ATO).
They say scammers will claim that your ATO tax file number has been hacked and that your ATO account has been involved in criminal activity. Others say they are calling from the local police station and to deposit money into an account over the phone, or to hand money over to “authorities” in person at a meet-up point.
Victims are told to verify their personal and banking information over the phone and that they can pay “debts” with online gift cards and other methods.
Police say: “Be vigilant. Scammers are getting increasingly sophisticated in their attempts to get your money.
“If you receive the call, do not respond to the request and hang up.”
If you have lost money as a result of this type of scam, report it to your local police station or to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 16 March 2021
