Newsletter
December 2018 Newsletter
ATO flags Bitcoin scam as tax deadline closes
It has been found by the ATO that the Cryptocurrency of Bitcoin is being used to pull off some of the simplest yet most effective money scams. It is said that payment through Bitcoin ATMs and iTunes voucher cards are the most common method of causing these scams.
Since July 1, there has been a reported 28,000 attempts of the scam, with tax payers almost paying $1 million in ‘fake debt’. Of this approximately 6,000 tax payers have given over their personal information to scammers through this method of scams.
One of the biggest things that you need to pay attention to is that the ATO will never ask you to make payment for tax debt into a Bitcoin ATM or via iTunes.
The top 5 signs of tax payer scams are as follows:
• Scammers are often abusive or aggressive
• Will almost always threaten you with immediate arrest
• They will request payments via Bitcoin ATMs, iTunes gift cards and other prepaid cards
• They will request for your personal security information via email, SMS or social media
• Will ask you to send money to get a refund
Source – Read the full article at Public Accountants: http://www.pubacct.org.au/news/ato-flags-bitcoin-scam-tax-deadline-nears