ATO SCAMS STILL GOING STRONG!!!!! And I missed my true calling........

Brendan Curran | June 04, 2019

I received one of those fake ATO Scam emails yesterday.  At the end of the day it took me about 5 seconds to identify the fact it was a scam…..because the first thing they did was tell me I am going to be arrested and put in jail, and the thing they did NOT do is identify me properly or themselves for that matter. 

But it was not a bad little act and I can see how someone with no prior dealings with the ATO would be taken in. 

Here is how it went: 

RING RING….. 

Me: Hello 

Scammer 1: Hello this is the ATO.  I am here to inform you that we have done checking on your tax forms and have found additional taxes you are required to pay There has been an arrest warrant and you will be put in jail today unless this is fixed. 

Me: What the?????

Scammer 1: Yes, I am very sorry.  Do not hang up your phone and do not talk to anyone else.  You must listen to me if you want to not go to jail.  The taxes are $5862.00

Me: ohhhhhhhhh, I definitely don’t want to go to jail.  What is going on??  How can I owe all this money??

Scammer 1: First you must identify yourself.  Please be telling your full name

Me: Peter Morris (not my name)

Scammer 1: Correct Mr Peter.  And your postcode?

Me : 2285 (not my postcode)

Scammer 1: Correct Mr Peter.  And who is your last tax agent?

Me: Oh, that would be ITP (clearly not)

Scammer 1: ITP?  Which office please?

Me: You should know this….it’s the one in Belmont

Scammer 1: Belmont Victoria?

Me : No, Belmont NSW

Scammer 1 : And what is the number please Mr Peter?

Me: (I was looking it up whilst I was talking to this goose) its 1300 555 666…..(this is not the ACTUAL ITP number, but its integral to the scam……)

Scammer 1: Correct Mr Peter.  You have satisfied our identity checks (HA!!!)  Who is your accountant please?

Me : oh, I think it may have been Paul someone…..yeah I reckon his name was Paul.

Scammer 1:  Correct Mr Peter.  I will be calling the ITP Belmont, and talking to your accountant Mr Paul.  I will be explaining that you are going to jail unless you can pay the taxes

Me : ok…….

Scammer 1 : Please hold Mr Peter.  DO NOT HANG UP!!!

Scammer 1: (pretending to call ITP) Hello is this ITP Belmont NSW???  I need to speak to Mr Paul, the accountant for Mr Peter Morris ID number DR65tZ981……..yes I will hold……….Mr Paul, yes this is ATO, your client my Peter has unresolved taxes of $5862, yes that is right….oh it was YOUR mistake???  No Mr Paul you cannot pay these taxes now, Mr Peter will be arrested TODAY unless HE pays the unresolved taxes…….Yes I will tell him this……goodbye Mr Paul ITP Belmont

Scammer 1: Mr Peter?  Are you still there?

Me : yes, what did Paul say?

Scammer 1 : Mr Paul said he has done a terrible thing and he says that it is all his fault.  He will call you on your phone.  When he does, you MUST PUT ME ON HOLD!!!  You will know that the call is from Mr Paul ITP Belmont because that number will show up on your caller ID  1300 555 666

And bugger me!!! IT DID!!!!!  Turns out there is this new app that anyone can use the “mask” any number as the caller ID to anyone’s phone, so these scumbags do this to give you the illusion that you are actually receiving a call from a tax agent!!!!

Me : I will put you on hold now……and answer the call from ITP

Me: Hello????

Scammer 2 : Hello Mr Peter.  This is Mr Paul, from ITP Belmont NSW.  I am very sorry but I have done a very bad thing.  Oh my god, I don’t know how I can make up for this.  It is a terrible thing that I did.

Me : Is this the unpaid taxes??

Scammer 2 : Yes Mr Peter.  I am so sorry the ATO told me you will go to jail.

Me : I don’t want to go to JAIL!!!!!!(I should get an Acadamy Award for this)

Scammer 2 :  Yes Mr Peter.  I told ATO officer I would pay the taxes, but they say it’s too late, only YOU can pay these taxes, not me

Me :  But I don’t want to go to jail.  If I pay the taxes will you help me sort it all out?

Scammer 2 : Oh, YES Mr Peter!!!!  I will do ANYTHING for you Mr Peter.  Please don’t report me for being a bad tax person Mr Peter.  Oh my God I am so sorry Mr Peter

Me : OK Paul.  I will pay the tax and you call me tomorrow and we will sort out the rest later.

Scammer 2 : Oh YES Mr Peter!!!!  That will be very satisfactory!!!  Goodbye

Me  :  take Scammer 1 off hold………Hello???? 

Scammer 1 : Mr Peter???

Me : yes.

Scammer 1 : Did you talk to Mr Paul ITP Belmont NSW????  Did he explain everything to you??            

Me  : oh, yes, I want to pay the taxes.  I DON’T want to go to jail!!!!!  Please don’t send me to jail, I am scared!!!!!(did I mention my Acadamy Award nomination?????)

Scammer 1 : Yes Mr Peter.  You must pay this immediately

Me :  yes, OK I can pay on my credit card……

Scammer 1 : NO NO NO NO!!!  You MUST pay with a DEBIT card Mr Peter.  No credit.  ATO cannot accept credit card payments!!!!!  Do you understand????

Me : Yes I think I understand all too well, you lying thieving grub

Scammer 1 : What did you say Mr Peter?  This is the ATO and you will be arrested if you do not pay the taxes immediately

Me : no shit Sherlock.  Look sweetheart, I am from the Federal Police, and I have a tap on this call, and BEEP BEEP BEEP call terminated.

There were several things that I took from this call:

1: They are calling lots and lots and lots of people.

2:  They are well drilled and can put together a reasonably believable story

3: I am due an Acadamy Award for yesterday’s performance

These schemes are generally based overseas, and once you pay them something, your money is GOOONE!!!  The police can’t help you.  I have seen this on numerous occasions with my clients, some have actually been taken in and stumped up the money.  I have heard of them asking for payment in Bitcoin!!!!

So, remember a few things about dealing with the ATO:

1.They will NEVER EVER EVER demand money over the phone

2. They will NEVER EVER EVER threaten arrest.  They simply don’t have this power!!!

3,. They will NEVER EVER EVER tell you that you cannot call them back.  You can ALWAYS call them back.

4. They never tell you not to use a credit card

5. They never take payment in cryptocurrency

If it sounds in the slightest bit off, just hang up.  If it is really and truly the ATO, (and it won’t be) they will have written to you previously, and they will be able to quote a document ID number on each and every letter they send. 

And if you have a tax agent, tell them to rack off and talk to your tax agent, who they already know about, and can contact electronically.  That’s what you pay us for!!!!! 

And if you DON’T have a tax agent, GET ONE!!!!!  Make it their problem?? 

Good luck people……. be careful and make sure you tell as many people as you can about this scam......the more people know about the sneaky