Scams on the rise
Watch out! The ATO will never do the following:
- Send you a pre-recorded message saying the police are coming to arrest you
- Ask you to click on a link in an email to online services
- Ask via email sensitive information to be emailed back to them
Click this link to learn more about “How to identify an ATO Scam”.
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The past year has seen an increase in scams, especially during the pandemic. According to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC), Australians lost over $634 million to scams in 2019. This amount is bound to be higher in 2020 with an increase in online shopping scams by 42 per cent. Over the past year, Scamwatch received over 12,000 reports of online shopping scams alone, with almost $7 million in reported losses.
Scams can come in different forms and via various channels, such as:
- Government impersonation scams
- Other threat-based scams
- Online shopping scams
- Rental scams
- Business email compromise scams
Be vigilant against scams and make sure you only interact with trustworthy individuals, organisations, and merchants.
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Source: https://www.accc.gov.au/taxonomy/term/160
Posted: 13 January 2021