The Minister for Consumer Affairs, Shane Rattenbury has warned Canberra’s taxpayers to be on the alert for tax return scammers at this time of year.
Mr Rattenbury said online scammers often increased their activity around tax time, sometimes impersonating Federal Agencies like the Australian Tax Office to glean personal information.
“Using the promise of a tax refund, scammers like to trick people into sharing personal information like bank account numbers, passwords and credit card numbers,” Mr Rattenbury said.
“Unfortunately this is often then used to advance a scam or identity fraud.”
He said it was important to remember that the Australian Taxation Office would never send an email or SMS asking for login details, personal or financial information, or to download a file or open an attachment.
“Anyone offering you an unsolicited tax refund in return for confirming your details or paying a fee online is likely to be a scammer,” Mr rettenbury said.
“The best thing to do is just delete that message or email.”
He said that anyone unsure of whether a tax-related email or phone call was legitimate should contact the Australian Taxation Office.
He said scammers could present as very professional, copying logos to impersonate banks and organisations like the Tax Office.
“The old adage ‘if it sounds too good to be true it probably is’ is also a good one to remember at tax time,” Mr Rattenbury said.
