Be aware of counterfeit ATO cheques supposedly issued by the ATO and drawn on Reserve Bank of Australia.
The counterfeit cheques are realistic in look and feel authentic; only after being put through a fluorescent scanner are they revealed to be fakes.
The counterfeit cheques are being sent from overseas as advance payment for accommodation, quite often around or near universities. The cheques are made out for a few thousand dollars more than the asking rent, and there is an accompanying letter requesting the balance of the overpayment be returned to the sender via Western Union transfer.
Other scams reported to the ATO involve people being asked to provide financial or personal details via phone, email or face-to-face.
The ATO never send emails asking people to provide their personal information or credit card details.
The ATO website contains information on recent scams and scam examples that have been reported to the ATO.
Important information
- The ATO never sends emails asking people to provide personal information or credit card details.
- The ATO sometimes contacts taxpayers to request payment in relation to outstanding debts but they will not request credit card details from a taxpayer to process a payment on their behalf. Payments can be made through the normally available payment channels.
- If you are contacted by someone claiming to be from the government or a financial institution, verify who they are by independently finding their contact details and contacting them directly.
- Never provide or confirm your personal details, or give money to someone unless you made the contact using details you have found yourself.
- If you think you have provided your account details to a scammer, contact your bank or financial institution immediately.