May 17, 2016
The “Australian Taxation Office” phone scam is doing the rounds again in Kingaroy.
Officer-in-charge of Kingaroy police, Senior Sergeant Duane Frank urged residents not to fall victim to the scam.
How the scam works: A resident receives a call from a person claiming to be from the ATO. The caller claims money is owed to the ATO, and if it is not deposited into an account immediately, a warrant will be issued for their arrest.
Police have previously warned that these type of scam phone calls have been targeting numerous people in Queensland, and some residents have been scared into handing over money to the caller.
“The Australian Taxation Office will never contact you in this manner and request funds be deposited into an account. Communication will be either through your accountant or via written communication,” a police spokesman said.
“If you do receive a phone call similar to the above scenario, can I ask that you refer it to the Australasian Consumer Fraud Taskforce on 1300-795-995 or www.scamwatch.gov.au.”
