SCAM ALERT: ATO and Pre-Paid Cards

Don't get caught out!


Article heading image for SCAM ALERT:  ATO and Pre-Paid Cards

A young Toowoomba man recently lost $4,000 in a scam when he received a telephone call from a man purporting to be from the Australian Taxation Office advising him that he has a large tax debt outstanding.

The caller directed the victim to go to a supermarket and purchase four $500 gift/pre-paid card vouchers and then provide the ID numbers to the caller for them to redeem.

The caller also warned the victim that if he didn’t pay, then police would attend his work and he would be arrested.

Unfortunately, the victim panicked and did as the scammer requested.

Information directly from the ATO website states that the ATO would never request the payment of a tax debt via gift or pre-paid cards such as iTunes and Visa cards. Nor will the ATO ask for direct credit to be paid to a personal bank account. And if the person calling you is rude and aggressive, threatening police or legal action if you don’t do something immediately – it’s not the ATO.

Toowoomba Police wish to remind residents that considering it is tax time again, to remain vigilant with all scam phone calls and emails.

If you have information for police, contact Policelink on 131 444 or provide information using the online form 24hrs per day.

 

23 July 2017




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