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The tax office has warned the public of a phone scam in which “fraudsters are intimidating people into paying a fake tax debt over the phone”.
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ATO issues scam warning
01 May 2015
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The aggressive scam involves the scammers threatening people with arrest if they do not comply and make the 'payment'.
Thomas Ryan, assistant commissioner, urged people to be vigilant, saying the ATO would never contact taxpayers about a debt in such a threatening manner.
“We take your privacy seriously. We urge you to be alert to these types of scams and never send money or give your financial details to someone you don’t know and trust,” said Mr Ryan.
“If you do have a tax debt we encourage you to contact us early on 13 11 42 so we can discuss your circumstances,” Mr Ryan added.
The ATO said that anyone who receives a call from the tax office, but is concerned about providing their personal information over the phone, should ask for the caller’s name and phone them back through the ATO switchboard.
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