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General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Davepatrol on April 21, 2015, 10:21:36 AM

Title: Scam or not
Post by: Davepatrol on April 21, 2015, 10:21:36 AM
Has anyone had this turn up in their Emails.
 Dear Taxpayer,

*Refund Amount : 318.84 AUD

>> Your *Refund Reference Number is: Ref/150122/2014 <<

NOTE: If you've received an Income Tax 'repayment' it will either be following a claim you've made or becouse ATO ( Australian Taxation Office ) has received new information about your taxable income or entitlement to allowances. The refund may come through your tax code or as a payment and could relate to the current tax year or earlier years.

CLICK HERE to submit your tax refund request

Thank you, ATO Australian Taxation
I would sway because they didn't use my name and spelling mistake it would be a scam.
Cheers Dave
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: Bird on April 21, 2015, 10:24:46 AM
scam..

we had several of that email today at work.. stupid ****ers CC'ed 20 people at work here with the same email and amount of refund....

I also got 2 snail mails yesterday from Spain telling me I'd inherited 6million something UKP from a rich rello who never existed really that lived in spain... they were holding it in trust for me..  :cup: :cup: :cup: :cup: :cup: :cup:
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: bobnrob on April 21, 2015, 11:36:41 AM
Look up the ATO's phone# from a genuine source and ask 'em!

But betting my left AND right nad that's it's phooey  ;)
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: Bird on April 21, 2015, 11:39:27 AM
Quote from: bobnrob
Look up the ATO's phone# from a genuine source and ask 'em!
yea look it up on the interwebs   ;D ;D
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: KingBilly on April 21, 2015, 12:04:56 PM
Scam

KB
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: cloakle on April 21, 2015, 12:13:56 PM
scam been getting them for a while, I don't even open them
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: tk421 on April 21, 2015, 12:35:12 PM
scam - clicking the link would be a bad idea, or it might just be a phishing email to get tax file or credit card details.
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: #jonesy on April 21, 2015, 12:47:14 PM
Scam,
but one of the smarter ones.  $318.84 sounds more realistic that $3million.
Except for the spelling errors, "tax code" and a few other errors.

Apart from that why would the tax office chase you to give you money back and then ask you to apply.

Other trick is to look at the senders email address, in particular the country codes.
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: WilSurf on April 21, 2015, 12:47:57 PM
I also got 2 snail mails yesterday from Spain telling me I'd inherited 6million something UKP from a rich rello who never existed really that lived in spain... they were holding it in trust for me..  :cup: :cup: :cup: :cup: :cup: :cup:

Had that one a few years back.
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: Davepatrol on April 21, 2015, 01:00:56 PM
It is definitely a scam, But when you click on the link it takes you to a site that looks for all intent to be the ATO and asks you to pick your bank,  but only gives the choice of the big 4 banks and no other choice. The ATO site looks real so this was just a heads up to be careful on what you  open and fill out.
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: Green rv on April 21, 2015, 01:01:14 PM
scam i also had that one about 2 weeks ago

mate i should be a multi millionaire with the amount of fake people wanting to leave me money  :-[

 :cheers:
Ads
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: WilSurf on August 07, 2015, 01:00:43 PM
Wow, I am getting rich.  :cheers:

I received 2 emails last night, informing me from 2 different addresses that they have an account waiting for me.
One account has USD$15M, the other has USD$14.8.

Dilemma, which one do I reply to?
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: BaseCamp on August 07, 2015, 01:13:02 PM


scam -
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: WilSurf on August 07, 2015, 01:43:54 PM

scam -

But, but, USD$15M...................????

 >:D
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: briann532 on August 07, 2015, 08:06:10 PM
Mate it's not a scam.
Its real.
I work for them.  :angel:

I have a few inside secrets I can help you with. Maybe even triple your return.
Just send me $25.00 and I'll tell you how..........................................................


 ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: Dingo0163 on August 07, 2015, 08:27:47 PM
It's a scam. The ATO will not contact you by email.  ;D
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: speewa158 on August 07, 2015, 09:02:44 PM
l have the answer to all this Crap  , sadly its a scam that can easily be reviled . Send me 2 Slabs of Cold VB cans & l will explain the depth that some will stoop to .                          :cheers:
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: Ash1 on August 07, 2015, 09:25:20 PM
SCAM! :(
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: KingBilly on August 07, 2015, 09:36:46 PM
Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network

http://www.acorn.gov.au (http://www.acorn.gov.au)

Refer 20 people a week

KB
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: Green rv on August 27, 2015, 09:03:25 AM
havent had this one before
come with a notice to pay but did not open that as it was a zip file

Notice to Appear,

You have not paid for driving on a toll road.
Please, do not forget to service your debt.

The copy of the invoice is attached to this email.

Sincerely,
Ben Perkins,
E-ZPass Manager.
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: WilSurf on August 27, 2015, 09:51:01 AM
Why is it so obvious and still people are falling for it.
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: Trailer Bloke on August 27, 2015, 10:12:33 AM
Scam they had a story on today tonight about it
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: scblack on August 27, 2015, 10:43:11 AM
Scam.

As Dingo said earlier, ATO do NOT send communication by email.
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: gronk on August 27, 2015, 11:27:55 AM
I've had 2 phone calls from someone ( sounds Indian ) from the ATO saying I have a problem and I will be fined if I don't take immediate action.....when I ask for name and a reference number, they hang up ??
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: Goose on August 27, 2015, 01:24:00 PM
I've had 2 phone calls from someone ( sounds Indian ) from the ATO saying I have a problem and I will be fined if I don't take immediate action.....when I ask for name and a reference number, they hang up ??

From the ATO website. Sounds like you got scam #2.



Phone scams

From time to time we may contact you by phone, but you should be wary of unsolicited phone calls claiming to be from the ATO and offering you a tax refund. Increasingly, we are seeing these scams using names and addresses that have some correlation to actual ATO officers and buildings. We advise taxpayers to be vigilant when receiving phone calls of this nature.

If in doubt about the authenticity of a call that you receive from the ATO, you can call us on phone us 13 28 61.

Below are examples of recent phone scams.

Example 1

You receive a call from a person saying they are from the ATO. The person may say a letter has been sent to advise you of this phone call, and that the call is to discuss a scheme to reduce your tax for retirement. The person will say they are going to send someone around to discuss your situation and ask questions about your occupation, your assets or whether you have a financial planner or accountant. They may already know your address.
No contact information or reference number is provided.

Key indicators of this scam:

Cold calling (unsolicited calls)
The caller may be pushy to book an appointment, and advise that there are ATO representatives in your neighbourhood now
You are asked questions about your financial situation and other personal information that could be used to steal your identity
The caller advises of ‘schemes’ to help reduce your tax and offers to provide financial advice.

Example 2

You are called on either your private home or mobile number by a person claiming to be from the ATO. You are told that due to ’errors’ on your tax return, a warrant has been issued for your arrest and the police will be called unless you attend the local post office and make an immediate payment. A variation of this scam asks you to purchase a ‘Load and Go’ card.

Key indicators of this scam:

Cold calling (unsolicited call)
You are advised that there is a warrant for your arrest
The callers use an aggressive tone
You are asked to make a payment without having received any prior advice or correspondence from the ATO
You are asked to make a payment without being provided with a personal payment slip.

Example 3

You are called on either your private home or mobile number by a person claiming to be from the ATO. They say that you have been chosen to receive a business grant from the federal government (amount can vary). You are told you need to phone a specific number straight away to organise the process to collect the grant.

Key indicators of this scam:

Cold calling (unsolicited calls).
The caller advises that you have been chosen for a business grant.
You are asked to phone to organise the collection of the grant. When phoning, you will likely be asked for personal information, including financial details, or requested to pay an amount to have the money released. You may also be asked to provide other personal information that could be used to steal your identity.
The caller provides details which may be similar to actual ATO officer details or addresses – however, the street name may be spelt incorrectly, or the wrong postcode is provided with the address.

Example 4

You are called on either your private home or mobile number by a person claiming to be from the ATO. They say that you are owed a tax refund of around $3,000 (could be any amount) and that you need to make a money transfer to an Indian orphanage or other charity of around $150 in order to receive your refund.

Generally, they provide a NSW phone number to contact the ‘ATO’ once you have completed the transfer. The scammers sometimes quote personal information, such as address and date of birth, during the conversation to show authenticity, and also often have several private contact numbers for you.

Key indicators of this scam:

Cold calling (unsolicited calls)
The caller advises that you have an unclaimed refund
You are asked to pay a sum of money to a third party in order to receive the refund
The payment must be made through a money transfer
The return phone number is a NSW number rather than a national 1300 number.

Example 5

You receive a call from a person saying that they are from 'The Tax Office's Australian Government Grants Department'. The person asks to clarify your name and address and says you will receive a cheque for $5,200, hand delivered the next day. In order to get this cheque, you need to call a phone number to confirm eligibility.

Key indicators of this scam:

Cold calling (unsolicited calls)
The caller advises that you will receive this money as they have 'unclaimed taxes' and/or they 'pay tax frequently'
All the call centre operatives refer to themselves as 'Harry'
You call the number provided and are asked to go to Australia Post and complete a 'Yellow Form' (presumably an International Money order) and call them back to provide a 10-digit confirmation number from the form
You must attach $99 and address the form to 'Australian Government - Veerendra Kumar, Bareilly, India'.
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: scblack on August 27, 2015, 01:41:20 PM
Once again all - the ATO do NOT communicate by email or phone for matters such as this. I am a CPA with many years experience with the ATO.

The scammers are just chucking gullible people a number of dollars to entice them to send money or provide them private information.

Another scam I receive regularly is one telling me Paypal have halted my account. So I must click on THIS link to get my money. Just a scam to entice greedy, gullible people.


Guys, if anything worries you about a caller, ask for the number to call them back on. If they won't it is a scammer. That's simple.
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: tk421 on August 27, 2015, 03:19:15 PM
I recently got an email from PayPal to my email address telling me that due to fraudulent activity my account had been suspended and that I needed to verify my details before it would be re-instated, by clicking a link

Looked totally legit (honestly, very professional looking, no spelling issues etc). Only issue is, I don't have a PayPal account - I use my wife's.   :police:

As a few have said, the best thing to do is to close the email and verify independently such as log into account yourself, not via any emailed link or call the customer service number directly etc.


Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: gronk on August 27, 2015, 03:31:30 PM
I am a CPA with many years experience with the ATO.



What is a CPA ??   
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: scblack on August 27, 2015, 03:34:34 PM
What is a CPA ??
Certified Practising Accountant.

I'm definitely certifiable. ;D
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: Troopy_03 on August 27, 2015, 07:59:04 PM
What is a CPA ??
Fresh meat for the ATO  ;D
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: briann532 on August 27, 2015, 08:56:47 PM
Guys just be wary.

Boss lady and I are registered on the "mygov" website and they DO communicate with emails.

Only for reminders and information though. You can log onto their site and read your messages to check if you are worried.
Even the ATO is moving into the digital age.

No different to paypal and others. Genuine emails are sent, but a heck of a lot of scammers do to.

Brian
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: dales133 on August 27, 2015, 09:02:52 PM
I keep winning ipads over viber,one a day it seems.
The mrs got the phonecall thing where it asks you to call urgently then bills your phone when you call it back
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: Big Damo on August 27, 2015, 09:15:38 PM
Wow, I am getting rich.  :cheers:

I received 2 emails last night, informing me from 2 different addresses that they have an account waiting for me.
One account has USD$15M, the other has USD$14.8.

Dilemma, which one do I reply to?
Reply to both that way if 1 is a scam you won't care as you will still receive the money from the other  :cup: winner all around
 :cheers:
Damo
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: scblack on August 27, 2015, 09:57:51 PM
Guys just be wary.

Boss lady and I are registered on the "mygov" website and they DO communicate with emails.

Only for reminders and information though. You can log onto their site and read your messages to check if you are worried.
Even the ATO is moving into the digital age.

No different to paypal and others. Genuine emails are sent, but a heck of a lot of scammers do to.

Brian
As Brian says, just be wary.

But to be correct, the MyGov website is not the ATO. It is there to give you some access to various government departments. That does include some basic matters for the ATO, such as lodging simple personal tax returns.

If anyone does receive a suspicious communication, and are worried about what is said in the message, whether email or a phone call, take a few details, and contact the department by another means. If it is an email ring the ATO by phone to confirm. Or if a phone call ask them for the number to call back. Genuine ATO staff will not expect anything to happen right now. The ATO is really genuinely helpful, and only wish to have data lodged correctly. They are not out to extract fines or make taxpayers pay things over the phone.

Back on topic, for matters like the email scams for refunds or fine payments. That sort of communication does not happen by email, so if you do get contact like that take a step back and get a second confirmation before you give more information, click on that link or god forbid hand money over. Be overcautious. 8)
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: speewa158 on August 28, 2015, 12:41:08 PM
scam..

we had several of that email today at work.. stupid ****ers CC'ed 20 people at work here with the same email and amount of refund....

I also got 2 snail mails yesterday from Spain telling me I'd inherited 6million something UKP from a rich rello who never existed really that lived in spain... they were holding it in trust for me..  :cup: :cup: :cup: :cup: :cup: :cup:

Either way your money problems would be over . No scam & your rolling in it Scam & your rolled in it  :cheers:
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: briann532 on August 28, 2015, 06:36:24 PM
Either way your money problems would be over . No scam & your rolling in it Scam & your rolled in it  :cheers:

Scammers are just rotten hey Jamie............

Why can't they just work hard. You know. Set up a business, sell some dot paintings pre dug fire pits, then reap the rewards of their hard work........ ;) ;) ;)
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: prodigyrf on August 28, 2015, 11:54:09 PM
Reply: Australian Taxation Office

Dear Sir/Madam,

Re: Refund Amount : 318.84 AUD

Thank you for that and can you please pay it urgently into my account BSB.......  Acount No.........
as I have been extremely worried that I wouldn't have enough to pay you the full amount of $5165.64 due on my account to you next week.

I am interstate at present so if you can furnish me the ATO bank account details again then when I receive the refund I will be able to pay you the next installment immediately in full.

Yours Faithfully
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: DaveR on August 30, 2015, 01:19:13 AM
I hope this scam caper is not a reflection of how mundane my life is.
I don't get any scams. None...  :-[
Few years back we had someone going on about the computer being broken and we had to log onto a web site. They hung up when we said, wow, how did you know that, it is away at the repair shop now.
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: muzza01 on September 09, 2015, 08:56:36 PM
surely this has to be a scam.

http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Toyota-Landcruiser-2004/SSE-AD-3585349/ (http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Toyota-Landcruiser-2004/SSE-AD-3585349/)

http://www.carsales.com.au/gallery/SSE-AD-3585349/Image?index=0&cpw=1&wt.z_driver= (http://www.carsales.com.au/gallery/SSE-AD-3585349/Image?index=0&cpw=1&wt.z_driver=)
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: Goose on September 10, 2015, 09:45:21 AM
I'm inclined to say there is something not right about the ad. Whether or not its a scam, hard to say.

Its seems a sweet deal: the Kms are low for the age, the price is low for the vehicle, the model is top of hte line and has heaps of nice options on it and it seems to be in great condition plus 6 new tires. But there is only 2 photos?? I'd expect 15+ photos for something like this.

Wouldn't surprise me if the price suddenly went up when you spoke to him, or he had other buys lined up etc Or its full of rust, bent etc
Title: Re: Scam or not
Post by: Rocky and Bullwinkle on September 11, 2015, 07:36:14 AM
Its a scam, I got the same Email, look at the address line in the top of your browser. The one I got sent was something or other tv I think from memory not ato.gov.au. Which was the real kicker it was a scam next screen wanted so much personal detail before they would give you a refund it would constitute identity theft forwarded it on to the ATO so they could follow up on the scam.