CANBERRA: The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is urging all Upper Hunter residents to keep their personal information secure and to report any suspicious activity immediately this tax time. Assistant Commissioner Kath Anderson warns that identifying information like tax file numbers, bank account numbers or your date of birth are the keys to your identity, and can be used by scammers to break into your life if they are compromised. “We cannot stress this enough – your personal information must be treated like your bank PIN,” she said. “If someone knew your PIN, they would have access to your hard-earned income, and it’s the same with your personal information and tax return.
“The ATO works really hard to maintain the highest levels of security, but if someone gets your personal information, they can use it to impersonate you and engage in fraudulent activity. “More than one thousand taxpayers reported their personal information had been compromised in June, up by 26 per cent from May, so we know it is a real problem at this time of year.” Ms Anderson said all reports of identity theft are taken seriously, with the ATO working directly with taxpayers when they suspect their identities have been stolen, misused or compromised. “We are committed to supporting victims of tax scams and tax crimes,” she explained. “If you think your tax file number has been stolen or compromised, you should contact our Client Identity Support Centre on 1800 467 033 right away.
“By alerting us we can immediately take steps to secure your identity and limit the damage done by scammers. “Your information also helps us understand the constantly evolving scams and therefore better protect the community from falling victim to them.” Ms Anderson said the best defence against scammers was keeping your information safe and knowing what to do if you are targeted. “You can’t be too careful when it comes to your personal details,” she said. “If you are contacted by anyone purporting to be from the ATO and you have any doubts about whether it is legitimate, immediately hang up and get in touch with the ATO to verify the call.” Ms Anderson said the ATO makes thousands of outbound calls to taxpayers each week, but there are key differences between a call from a scammer and a legitimate call from the ATO.
