The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has warned of an alarming rise in scammers this tax time.

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has warned of an alarming rise in scammers to steal money from you by pretending to be from the tax authority. ATO advises to stop and think before giving away personal details or money to scammers this tax time. It’s important to remember that ATO will not email you and ask for your bank details, tax file number (TFN), transfer moneys or download a file.

Be wary of emails, phone calls, and SMS during tax time that claim to be from the ATO, even if it appears legitimate. If you receive a suspicious email claiming to be from the ATO, do not click on any links, open attachments or respond to the sender. If you are unsure about whether a call, text message or email is genuine, report it to <b><a href=”https://www.ato.gov.au/general/online-services/identity-security/verify-or-report-a-scam/”>ATO</a></b> or call <b>1800 008 540</b>.