The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has warned about an increased number of scam calls impersonating the ATO. The scammers claim that the ATO has suspended the individual’s tax file number (TFN).

If you receive a suspicious call claiming to be from the ATO, you can hang up. If you do so, please call 1800 008 540 to check the legitimacy of the call or report it online at ato.gov.au/reportascam.

Some ways to determine that the caller is not from the ATO is if they:

• Request direct transfers of money to a personal bank account
• Project the number onto your caller ID
• Threaten you with immediate arrest, jail or deportation
• Send unsolicited pre-recorded phone messages
• Say they have suspended your TFN

Source: ATO website