Warning over ATO social media scam
Australians are being warned of a new social media scam involving crooks impersonating tax workers.
The federal government said the scam was duping people out of their money and their personal information.
The scam involves fraudsters impersonating employees of the Australian Tax Office to speak to people who have posted tax questions or complaints on social media.
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Australians are warned to be on the watch for a new social media scam. A Current Affair
They contact the poster directly, with an offer to help resolve the issue.
After earning the victim's trust, the scammer asks them to click on a link or provide personal details.
The ATO is working with social media platforms and other government agencies to help remove the scammers.
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"Fake tax officer accounts on Twitter and Facebook can be extremely convincing, which is what makes this scam so insidious," Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones said.
"The Tax Office will never ask for personal information over social media and never send links that ask you to fill out your personal information like your tax file number, myGov log in or bank account details."
More information about identifying and reporting tax scams is available on the ATO website.
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