The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is encouraging businesses and individuals to brush up on their knowledge of tax and superannuation scams. Make sure you know what to look out for.
Here are a few things the ATO will never do:
- send you a link in an email or text asking you to log in to our online services. Scammers use this tactic to harvest your information
- ask for your personal identifying information, such as your tax file number or bank account details, on social media. To make sure you are interacting with verified ATO accounts, look for the blue verified tick on Facebook and Twitter, and a high follower count on LinkedIn
- request payments through unusual methods, such as gift cards, crypto assets or cardless cash
- threaten you with immediate arrest. If this happens, report the incident to the ATO.
Knowing these warning signs could save you and your business from getting caught in a scam. The ATO recommend you also review their tips on keeping your business information secure. The Scamwatch website is another helpful resource. For information on how to verify or report a scam see the ATO website.