Last updated June 2011
The Australian Tax Office is warning people not to respond to fraudulent telephone calls or emails being circulated in its name. But they aren’t the only organisation that is being misrepresented by scammers. And what is the scammers purpose? Simple: either get money off you or steal your identity (which allows them to get heaps of money and leaves you with a BIG problem to fix!).
The basics of these scams are always the same – they appear authentic and ask you to provide some personal details (eg name, date of birth, address) and usually your credit card details.
They will often say things like you are entitled to some money (for whatever reason) but they need your details to send it to you, or a computer malfunction has corrupted their database and they need to fix it.
Sometimes they ask you to allow your bank account to be used and you will get a percentage/cut of what goes through.
ITS ALL A LIE.
The simple rule: NEVER give anyone your personal details, especially if they have contacted you for an unexpected reason.
If you are not sure whether it is genuine, assume that it is not. If still in doubt:
• Telephone calls:
1) Take the caller’s details, their contact number, AND HANG UP.
2) Look up the telephone number of the sender in the telephone book / on the internet and give them a ring. Most Government departments, banks etc have a 13xxxx or 1800xxxxx number and a call centre, so start there and ask to speak to the person who rang you (if it is a genuine call you will be transferred). DON’T ring the contact number the caller provided as you might end up talking to the scammer, who will con you!• E-mails:
1) Delete it
2) Don’t open it, especially if it has an attachment. If you do, you risk infecting your computer with a virus
3) Look up the telephone number of the sender in the telephone book / on the internet and give them a ring. DON’T use any number in the email as you might end up talking to the scammer, who will con you!
Tips:
1) Remember: The best approach is to ignore it. If it is important, they will contact you again.
2) Government departments send very few emails, unless you have already been dealing with a particular person on a specific matter. And they won’t ask for private information via a hyperlink in any e mail they may send you.
3) For e-mails, there are a number of websites you can check, such as: www.hoax-slayer.com
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