The ATO are receiving increasing reports of people losing money to automated phone scams. The scammers are posing to be from the ATO and telling people that their TFN has either been suspended due to illegal activity or compromised by a scammer.
They request that the call recipient either pay a fine to release their TFN or transfer all bank funds into a holding account to protect it from future misuse. The ATO does not suspend TFNs and will never request you pay a fine or transfer money in order to protect your TFN pending legal action.
Phone calls from the ATO do not project a number on caller ID and they will never send unsolicited pre-recorded messages to your phone.
If you receive a phone call like this, hang up and do not provide the information requested.
If you are unsure whether an ATO contact is genuine, phone the ATO on 1800 008 540 or contact our office on (08) 9387 5637 for assistance.
