Dont Fall Victim - ATO Warns Of Online and Email Scams

Australian Taxation Office Warns of Online and Email Scams

Online and email scams cost the public billions of dollars every year. And the scammers are getting even more sophisticated in conning people out of their money.

The ATO has warned the Australian public to be vigilant about online content and emails received. They are urging people to check carefully before divulging any personal information online.

A recent press release by the ATO highlights the dangers:

As consumer fraud awareness week started this Monday, the ATO is encouraging people to be alert to potential online and email scams.

Second Commissioner David Butler said the ATO, like many business and government agencies, is seeing sophisticated scams designed to trick people into giving away their personal details such as password, banking and credit card details.

“Scammers can use your personal details to steal your identity and commit fraud,” Mr Butler said. “I urge people to be careful – be wary of unsolicited emails claiming to be from the ATO.”

If you think you may have been the victim of a scam and have provided your credit card or banking details in the process, contact your financial institution immediately.

Tips to protect yourself and your identity online

Ensure your computer has up-to-date security software including anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-spam and firewall protection to protect your computer from malicious programs.

Enable automatic updates for your computer’s operating system and applications including your web browser to ensure they remain up-to-date.

Use a spam filtering product to help block fake emails or emails containing viruses – if you receive a spam email, delete it and don’t open email attachments from unknown sources.

When using social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn be careful about the personal information you publish, and customise your security settings to ensure your profile is only accessible to those you trust.

Do not provide your tax file number online unless you are certain about the authenticity of the website.

For more information on how to report and protect yourself from scams and to see examples of genuine ATO communications, visit www.ato.gov.au/onlinesecurity.