SCAM ALERT!!!! DONT GET FOOLED!!!

Brendan Curran | August 24, 2018

Today I found out a client of mine has been stung by a very well planned and executed scam.  Lets call this guy Billy.

Yesterday Billy received a phone call from someone who said they were from the ATO.  This person told Bill that he was in a LOT of trouble and that they were just about to issue an arrest warrant for Billy over tax liabilities of $8000.  They then told Billy that if the call was terminated for any reason, he would be arrested, receive $90,000 in fines and lose his house.  The person mentioned to Billy that the ATO was in contact with his accountant, and at some point Billy mentioned our firm by name.

Then Billy received a SECOND phone call, and the caller ID told him it was from BPC Accounting.  The caller introduced himself as Michael Ray, the head accountant at BPC Accounting in Budgewoi.  He told Billy that he had been talking to the ATO, and that due an error by the firm Billy was up for $8000 and if he didnt pay it immediately he was probably going to jail and lose his house.

SO Billy got convinced that the calls were legit.  And he did exactly as he was told.  which was NOT to pay the debt using a debtit or credit card, but to purchase BITCOIN, and pay the tax liability using the cryptocurrency!!!!!!

I probably dont need to tell you the chances of Billy getting any of his money back.

The thing that finally convinced Billy that he needed to stump up the cash was the call from "his accountant".  And the sneaky thing about it was that the scammer was clever enough to find out what the firm was, and then he used a clever new app which "masks" the real caller ID and puts ANY NUMBER you want in its place.  Look up an app called SpoofCard......this is almost certainly the app which was used to deceive Billy.

SO keep a few things in mind when dealing with phone calls from the ATO, or any other government agency:

1: they RARELY IF EVER call you direct

2: they NEVER EVER EVER make payment demands for immediate payment

3: you can ALWAYS request written confirmation

4: you can ALWAYS call them back

5: they NEVER EVER EVER arrest people......not unless there is a mountain of paperwork first

6: they NEVER EVER EVER advise fines and penality amounts over the phone as a means to force immediate payment

7: they never EVER EVER EVER EVER EVERRRRRRR take bitcoin as payment!!!!!

SO please be careful when you receive a telephone call.  If you are not 100% sure that who you are talking to is who they say they are....HANG UP!!!!  then take steps to find out if the caller was genuine.

BC