Portland’s Ronald Davern is warning that a tax office scam, conducted over the phone, is operating in the area.
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Last week, Mr Davern was contacted by a man identifying himself as Eric Foster from the Australian Tax Office (ATO). He was told he owed $1498 to the tax office and, if he did not pay immediately, there would be major consequences.
Mr Davern, the former operator and finance manager of Lithgow GIO, was then told to pay via Woolworths’ online shopping portal.
Which, needless to say, was all a bit fishy to him.
"They said there would be no paperwork supplied until the debt was paid,” he said.
Mr Davern touched based with Centrelink and then his accountants to verify there was no debt.
It was a scam.
‘Mr Foster' contacted Mr Davern one final time on Wednesday, May 3. When Mr Davern told the man what he had learned, he said the conversation came to a sudden halt.
”I’ve been told by others that aged pensioners have sent away and lost money,” Mr Davern said.
“They are so vulnerable. And it’s so evil – it’s amazing what greed and avarice can do.
“I’m glad he phoned me because I’ve thoroughly checked him out."
A call made by the Lithgow Mercury to the NSW number provided to Mr Davern was answered by a man claiming to be Eric Foster. He said he was collecting the money for the ATO but, when asked where he was based, he ended the call.
Warning on ATO fraud
SCAMwatch has been warning about these kinds of scams since 2015.
They are particularly prevalent in the lead up to tax time.
How they work:
- People identify themselves as coming from a government agency
- They will provide a return phone number and ask you to return the call in office hours. This number has no connection to the ATO.
- They will often have a detailed story about the reason for the debt.
- They ask for money to be sent via wire transfer as it is almost impossible to recover money sent this way.
- They may ask for people’s financial details and use the information to commit further scams.
What to do?
SCAMwatch recommends:
- Hang up
- If in doubt, contact the ATO or other government agency directly using numbers you source independently in the phone book or online. Do not use the contact numbers given.
- Do not send money. You will never be able to recover it. If you give the scammer your personal information, it may be used for further fraud.
- Never send any money via wire transfer to anyone you do not know or trust.
- Never give your personal, credit card or online account details over the phone unless you made the call and the phone number came from a trusted source. If you think you have provided your account details to a scammer, contact your bank or financial institution immediately.
Kirsty Horton
A journalist with 15 years of experience, Kirsty Horton has been the editor of the Lithgow Mercury newspaper and a journalist for mastheads including the Great Lakes Advocate, Nambucca Guardian News and Moree Champion. She is now a member of ACM's features and special publications team.
A journalist with 15 years of experience, Kirsty Horton has been the editor of the Lithgow Mercury newspaper and a journalist for mastheads including the Great Lakes Advocate, Nambucca Guardian News and Moree Champion. She is now a member of ACM's features and special publications team.
