The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has urged Australians to beware of an increasing number of fake government threat scams during tax time, with swindlers pocketing over $1.26 million so far this year.
From Jan. 1 to July 5, ACCC’s Scamwatch received thousands of reports of scammers claiming to be the ATO, Australian Federal Police, myGov, Services Australia, Department of Home Affairs, Department of Health, and state Department of Health and Human Services.
Rickard said many scammers were making fake government threats or using phishing techniques to dupe people into handing over their personal details.
Below are a few examples of what to look out for.
“Do not respond to texts or emails as the scammer will escalate their attempts to get your money,” Rickard said.
“These scams can be quite convincing and can lead to significant financial losses or even identity theft.”
From 2018 to 2019, Scamwatch found an increase of 34 percent of financial losses to scams.