A concerned reader has informed the Lithgow Mercury that a scam is doing the rounds again in the Lithgow region.
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The phone-based scammers who claim to be from the Australian Tax Office have been making repeated calls to people in the district.
The scammers claim there is a warrant for your arrest due to unpaid taxes and that you will need to call back a number during office hours.
The message sounds like an automated recording.
This scam has been used before in the area and residents should take caution when they receive the call.
The Australian Taxation Office have heard of the scam and have the recorded voice message on their website.
If you are worried about the legitimacy of a call you receive, you can listen to the fake message to know if you are being scammed.
Previously:
How the scams 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.
SCAMwatch warning signs for this type of scam:
- You receive a call out of the blue from someone claiming to be from a government department, debt collection agency or trusted company.
- You may be left a message on your answering machine asking you to ring a number.
- The caller will claim that you have issues with your immigration forms or visa status.
- The caller will tell you that in order to resolve the matter you will need to pay a fee or fine.
- The caller may ask for your personal information such as your passport details, date of birth or bank information.
- The caller may claim the police will come to your door and arrest you if you do not pay the fee or fine immediately.
SCAMwatch on how to protect yourself:
- Don’t be pressured by a threatening caller. Stop, think and check whether their story is true.
- A government agency or trusted company will never ask you to pay by unusual methods such as by gift or store cards, iTunes vouchers, wire transfers or Bitcoins.
- If you receive a phone call from someone threatening you and asking you to pay a fee, hang up and do not respond.
- Don’t use any contact details provided by the caller. Verify their identity by calling the relevant organisation directly—find them through an independent source such as a phone book, past bill or online search.
- Do not respond to texts or emails. If you do, the scammers will escalate their intimidation and attempts to get your money.
- Never send money or give credit card details, online account details or personal information to anyone you don’t know or trust and never by email or over the phone.
- If you are concerned for your safety, contact the police.
