By JODIE SYMONDS
The Taxman is warning of a phone scam being played on Yarra Valley residents.
The alert has been issued after a Woori Yallock resident was repeatedly called by scammers asking for money last Wednesday.
“The scammer wanted me to send $200 dollars to receive over $7,000 dollars I was apparently undercharged during tax time,” the anonymous victim said.
“I then received calls every 15 to 20 minutes and I repeatedly told the man to stop calling.
“The man became angry so I hung up the phone and called the ATO straight away.” she said.
The Australian Tax Office says it has received a spike in complaints about email and phone call scams since 31 October.
“Since June, reports from the public of phishing scams have quadrupled to 15,441 compared with just 3586 during the same period last year,” the ATO website said.
Tax Commissioner Chris Jordan advises people to be vigilant of scammers attempting to mimic the ATO because their sites can look identical to the ATO’s website.
“Scammers are also becoming more sophisticated in the way they trick taxpayers into handing over their personal details,” Mr Jordan said.
Mr Jordan said if locals receive phone calls from people claiming to be from the ATO they should hang up the phone and report it immediately.
The Woori Yallock resident encourages locals to take care because they it can be easy to become trapped in a scam.
Anyone who thinks they have been conned in a tax related scam should contact their financial institution immediately and report the incident to the Australian Taxation Office.
For more information on how to identify a scam, or to report a scam contact police or call the Australian Taxation Office on 1800 060 062.
