Almost one third of Australians fail to spot a tax scam, warning ahead of tax time
Aussies are being urged to be vigilant and stay across the latest scam trends, with scammers expected to capitalise on the upcoming tax season.
Aussies are being urged to be vigilant and stay across the latest scam trends, with new research revealing almost one in three people fail to recognise a scam.
The research, conducted by YouGov, found while nine in ten Australians were confident they could identify a fake SMS or email, only 69 per cent of Australian adults successfully identified all of the scams when tested.
SMS phishing scammers impersonate the Australian Taxation Office and myGov to “phish” for personal information, including bank card details, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia explained in a statement.
“The link within the SMS will take the recipient to a fake website, which might look very real.
“There will be a place to enter their card details and then this unfortunately allows access to their money.”
James Roberts, CBA’s General Manager of Group Fraud, said it was concerning that almost one third of Australians tested were unable to spot all the scams.
“As a nation, we’ve made good inroads into reducing the impact of scams, but we all need to stay vigilant and across the latest scam trends,” Mr Roberts said.
“Scammers are the most opportunistic criminals and will actively campaign to capitalise on tax season.
“Everyone should keep an eye out for text messages and emails impersonating myGov and the ATO.
“They may appear in a thread of legitimate messages from these organisations.”
Mr Roberts said the major red flag for this kind of scam was the link, which would differ considerably from the official myGov and ATO website addresses.
“If you’re unsure, contact the organisation on a verified phone number or via their official website or app, otherwise delete the text,” Mr Roberts advised.
“If you think you may have fallen victim to a scam, then contact your bank immediately.”
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