Assistant Treasurer Nick Sherry has warned households to be wary of yet another tax scheme, where fraudsters go from house to house pretending to be consultants from the Australian Taxation Office.
Once inside the victims home, the scammers offer the taxpayer a chance to take part in a fake Government program offering incentives including a reduction in taxes.
“These people are breaking the law, so I am warning people to stay on guard and don’t get duped,” Sherry says
“When making home visits for any Tax Office or Government initiative, tax officers will always make prior appointments and will show official Tax Office identification on arrival.”
“Under no circumstances should anyone give personal information including credit card, banking or super fund details to these people.”
This current tax season has seen a spike in the number of scams trying to lure taxpayers with promises of special refunds or tax incentives, with email phishing scams hitting inboxes throughout Australia.
James was the editor and publisher of SmartCompany and LeadingCompany for five years. He is now the Australian Financial Review‘s companies & markets editor, and a former BRW editor.
