Highlights
- Your TFN can not be suspended.
- Tax scammers target those who they think they can scare and intimidate.
- Red flags include intimidation and threats. Someone from the ATO will talk in a helpful manner.
'May PERAan' is SBS Filipino's podcast series featuring financial experts seeking to answer the most common questions about money and finances.
"Scammers are advanced nowadays. They've scammed a lot of people so they have a budget now," accountant Mark Vecino laughs.
Mark shares that some scammers even have their own call centres with "employees" typing at their computers to make people feel that they really are from the Australian Tax Office (ATO).
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Paano malalaman kung tax scam ang natanggap na tawag?
SBS Filipino
09:57
First of all, can your TFN be suspended?
"The short answer is no. The ATO does not suspend tax file numbers," Mark shares.
When the caller asks you to pay to prevent suspension, Mark guarantees that the person on the other end of the line is a scammer.
Red flags to watch out for
Aside for asking for payment for a TFN suspension, Mark advises to watch out for the following red flags as well:
- If the caller threatens you or talks to you aggressively
"Someone from the ATO will never talk to you in an intimidating manner. He or she will talk with you in a factual, casual way. If you did something wrong, he or she will just remind you on what you need to do."
- If you're not comfortable with the conversation
"You can always end the call."
What to do when you receive a tax scam call
"Don't react with fear or nervousness," Mark shares, adding, "These scammers target people they know they can intimidate and scare."
The best way to counter this fear is to answer the caller's queries with questions.
"Ask them what information they have on you and what department they are from. This is a way for you to verify if the caller really is from the ATO and it prevents you from giving additional information about yourself.
"Also, if you have an accountant, tell the caller to get in touch with him or her. If the caller really is with the ATO, he or she would have access to that information."
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Disclaimer: This article is for general information only. For specific financial advice, you should consider seeking independent legal, financial, taxation or other advice to check how the information here relates to your unique circumstances.
