BEWARE: Tax time is hunting season for scammers

As the end of the financial year approaches, many people will experience attempts from criminals to lure money from them

BE AWARE: The end of financial year is a busy time for scammers according to the ATO. Picture: Thinkstock

THE other day my phone was buzzing with a number which said it was coming from Singleton in NSW.

Followed by a very cheerful greeting, I was told I owed the Australian Taxation Office thousands of dollars.

Now I am not great with my maths but when your best mate and accountant does your taxes for you each year for the measly price of six beers, I was pretty confident this was a scam.

For the next 15 minutes I recorded my conversation with a woman who claimed to be from the ATO, and threatened me with prison if I didn't follow her instructions.

As the end of the financial year approaches, many people will experience attempts from criminals to lure money from them, under the cover of working for the ATO.

Many people fall for these scammers every year, with hundreds of thousands of dollars being swindled out of hard-working Aussies who were caught off guard.

A spokesperson from the ATO said tax time is a busy time of year for scammers.

"Scammers are busy all year round but we have seen an increase in activity in the lead up to tax time," the spokesperson said.

"Scammers know that this is the time when tax debts become due and when many Australians are expecting to have contact with the ATO.

"The current scam will often demand payment of varying amounts - sometimes in the order of $5000.

"However, once a payment is made the scammers will frequently contact the victim again and attempt to obtain a further payment."

AM I IN TROUBLE? This photo was taken during our reporter's discussion with a scam caller. Picture: Michael Doyle

During my interaction with the scammer, I gave a fake name and address, which gave me confidence it was a scam when that didn't deter them from trying taking my money.

While scammers are effective in trying to convince you they are legitimate, the ATO says there are a few tell-tale signs you are speaking to a crook.

While the ATO regularly contacts taxpayers by phone, email and SMS, there are some signs that it isn't the ATO. The ATO will not:

. Send pre-recorded voice messages to your phone;

. Threaten you with immediate arrest, jail or deportation;

. Use aggressive or rude behaviour;

. Request payment of a debt via iTunes, pre-paid visa cards, crypto-currency or direct credit to a personal bank account;

. Request a fee in order to release a refund owed to you; or

. Send you an email or SMS asking you to click on a link to log onto government online services.

The ATO spokesperson said the organisation didn't project their phone numbers using caller ID.

"You can be confident that if there is a number displayed in your caller ID, it isn't the ATO."

If you believe you have been the target or the victim of someone claiming to be from the ATO, you can phone [phone] between 8am-6pm, Monday to Friday.