ATO urges vigilance following new scams approach

The fake TFN and ABN services are often advertised on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The advertisements offer to obtain a TFN or ABN for a fee. Instead of delivering this service, the scammer uses these fraudulent websites to steal both money and personal information.

In 2021, more than 50,000 people reported ATO impersonation scams with victims losing a total of more than $800,000.

The ATO said it is concerned about a recent increase in the number of victims reporting scams around TFN and ABN applications and it also still seeing scammers impersonating the ATO, making threats, demanding the payment of fake tax debts or claiming a TFN has been “suspended” due to fraud.

Those who apply for a TFN or ABN through a tax agent should always check that the tax agent is registered with the Tax Practitioners Board.

The ATO said people can protect themselves from scammers by following a few simple steps.

Firstly, know your tax affairs. It said customers will be notified about a tax debt before it is due. Check if you have a legitimate debt owed by logging into your myGov account via an independent search or by calling your tax agent if you have one (on a number sourced independently).

Secondly, guard personal and financial information and be careful when clicking on links, downloading files or opening attachments. Only give personal information to people you trust and don’t share it on social media.

Finally, if you are unsure, don’t engage. If a call, SMS or email leaves you wondering if it is genuine, don’t reply. Instead, you should phone the ATO’s dedicated scam line 1800 008 540 to check if it is legitimate. You can also verify or report a scam online at ato.gov.au/scams. You can also visit ScamWatch to get information about scams (not just tax scams).