We’re being urged to be on guard against yet another social media scam that purportedly involves the Australian Tax Office. This is how it aims to drag you in.
• Users posing as ATO workers respond to taxpayer complaints or questions about the ATO posted on social media.
• The phoney accounts send replies or a direct message offering to resolve the taxpayer’s issue.
• The scammer then tries to get you to click on a link in a bid to access your money or private information.
Assistant treasurer and minister for financial services Stephen Jones says: “Fake tax officer accounts on Twitter and Facebook can be extremely convincing, which is what makes this scam so insidious.
“The Tax Office will never ask for personal information over social media and never send links that ask you to fill out your personal information like your tax file number, myGov log-in or bank account details.”
He says the ATO is working with social media platforms and other government agencies to remove the “damaging interactions”.
The fake accounts pretending to be ATO workers and using ATO branding have been identified on Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms. You have been warned!
.
