Australians warned against dangerous gift card scams
Aussies are being warned against a convincing new scam where payments are being demanded from retail gift cards.
Con-artists are phoning vulnerable people to claim that their tax file number (TFN) has been compromised due to illegal activity.
Payment is being demanded through cardless cash withdrawals at ATMs and retail gift cards from stores such as JB Hi-Fi, Myer and Woolworths.
The dangerous con-artists have also been known to demand payment in person at a predetermined public location.
ATO assistant commissioner Tim Loh said what was “most alarming” about these scammers is that they are operating on Australian soil.
He said, “We recently saw one scammer lure a young woman out of lockdown in NSW to drop off $30,000 in cash to a person at a local hardware store carpark.”
“The scammer, claiming to be from the Federal Police, threatened arrest and told the victim that her TFN was compromised.”
“The victim also sent photocopies of her driver’s licence and Medicare card to the scammer before reporting to the ATO and the police,” he said.
Mr Loh urged anyone who thinks they have paid money to a scammer to report it to local police with specific details.
“Scammers are always on the hunt for new ways to con Australians out of their hard-earned cash,” he said.
In the first six months of 2021 alone, Aussies have lost over $70million to investment scams.
Disturbingly, this number is higher than the total reported losses in all of 2020, with the projected 2021 losses set to double to $140million by the end of the year.
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