Reports of e-mail scams to the ATO have tripled to almost 11,000 compared to the same quarter of last year.
Second Commissioner Geoff Leeper said the ATO is seeing an increase in the number of sophisticated e-mail and phone scams designed to trick people into giving away their personal details such as tax file numbers, banking and credit card details.
“Scammers can use your personal details to steal your identity and commit fraud such as taking out a bank loan or lodging fake tax returns in your name,” Mr Leeper said.
“I urge people to be vigilant – be wary of unsolicited emails or phone calls claiming to be from the ATO.”
“We will never send an email requesting you to confirm, update or disclose confidential details like your name, date of birth, address, passwords, or credit card details.”
- Q1 2013 (Jan – Mar) – 10,972
- Q4 2012 (Oct – Dec) – 8,770
- Q3 2012 (Jul – Sep) – 6,177
- Q2 2012 (Apr – Jun) – 2,342
- Q1 2012 (Jan – Mar) – 3,558
Tips to protect yourself and your identity
- Protect your identity by protecting all your personal details, including your tax file number.
- Only certain people and organisations can ask for your tax file number. Do not provide your tax file number online unless you are certain about the authenticity of the person requesting it.
- 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.
- 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 do not open email attachments from unknown sources.