DERRYN HINCH:
I want, now, to talk to Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, Chris Pearce. Because, as I mentioned, our banks are well aware of the Internet scam in which shysters send you very clever-looking letters over the Internet, that look like they come from official banks, and they say, you know, "Make sure you answer in a hurry", or words to this effect - I've read them and deleted them - "Make sure you fill in the squares or the boxes and answer these questions, give us your details, otherwise your bank account may be frozen until we can get the things". And some people panic and some people, stupidly, pass the information over.
On the line now the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, Chris Pearce.
Good afternoon.
CHRIS PEARCE:
Hi, Derryn.
HINCH:
I mean this, it's so obviously to many people a scam, I mean it's no better than the Nigerian loan scam,
PEARCE:
Mm.
HINCH:
but because it looks so official and because people have such an intimate relationship with their bank a lot of people are either tempted or conned into thinking, 'Oh gee, I'd better do something about this'.
PEARCE:
Well Derryn, as you say, unfortunately these emails look authentic and they ask people to confirm their personal details, such as their banking password or their PIN number.
And what was announced today was part of the Scam Awareness Month,
HINCH:
Mm.
PEARCE:
and what was announced, I think, is a very clear message: that your bank or credit union will never send you an email asking for your personal security details.
HINCH:
Mm.
PEARCE:
And I think that that's a very important message for the community to listen to today and to bear in mind so these scamsters or these would-be scammers will not be successful in the future.
HINCH:
Well it is a good point, because I'm amazed how gullible people can be sometimes when this sort of stuff comes through.
PEARCE:
Well, I think that's right. I don't know about your In Box, but mine gets flooded with this junk all the time, and what we're encouraging is for consumers to, most importantly, report it. And they can do it by two ways, Derryn: they can do it via the website, which is www.scamwatch.gov.au,
HINCH:
Right.
PEARCE:
or they could do it by calling 1300 795 995. And then after they report it, they should delete it.
But reporting it's the key. Because if they report it, then, together with the community and the Federal Police, we're better able to try and track these would-be scammers down
HINCH:
Yeah, I must admit
PEARCE:
and hold them to account.
HINCH:
I'm one of the guilty ones who just sees it and I think, 'Oh not another one', and just delete it. And I've never reported it; I've just dumped them, saying, "Oh nice try, but you haven't got me".
PEARCE:
Sure. Well, we want to encourage people to report it, because it's through the reporting that we can gain this important information so that we can track these would-be scammers down and we can hold them to account.
HINCH:
Yeah. So, I mean, you can say categorically this announcement today by the Bankers Association and the Credit Union Industry Association, they have categorically said to tell everybody, "We will never ask for your personal details, your password or your PIN, through an email"?
PEARCE:
That's right, that's the key message: they will never send you an email asking for your personal security details. So if you get asked that in the future, then you know to be suspicious, to be careful. Report it and delete it.
HINCH:
Yeah. Yeah. OK.
One final point - and I'm asking you this as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer - Mr Costello had his big 10th anniversary party here in Melbourne on Friday night, he's announced this two-man inquiry into our tax system; I make the point that surely he must know everything about tax after 10 years in the job, why does he need an inquiry?
PEARCE:
Well, Derryn, I think it's very important that we do understand how Australia's tax system compares internationally, and this inquiry will be part of the total mix of different inputs that will help inform the Treasurer and the Government in preparation for the next Budget.
So I think it's a great idea. I think it's very important that we do understand all the taxes that are collected, not just nationally but State and Local Government levels as well, and across the whole range of business, property, transaction, superannuation taxes, so this is an important study, and this study will help inform discussion and input for the Budget.
HINCH:
Well I talked to Peter Hendy of course, who's one of the men who's going to be putting this report in with Dick Warburton, and he said they will have the assistance, they'll second eight economists from the Taxation Department. Why can't the Treasurer just call up the economists and say, "Tell me"?
PEARCE:
Well, I think it's very important that when we do these types of studies that they can be objective and that they can gather the information so we can be as informed as best we can. You know in making these decisions it is important that we look, that we listen to people, that we look at other particular countries, so we have a good idea about how we can form
HINCH:
Yeah.
PEARCE:
our decision-making.
HINCH:
But it's not like Peter Costello's been in the job for three days; he's been there for ten years.
PEARCE:
Well, the Government has been here for 10 years Derryn, and the Government has reformed our tax system to the benefit of all of Australia, as you know over successive Budgets we've reformed the tax system. And part of the reason why we've been successful is because this is the way we go about the way we do government, which is responsibly and with the nation's interest at heart.
HINCH:
Well, it's a nice little speech, but I just can't see why he needs it. If he doesn't know-- I mean, as Paul Keating used to say you know, he's the man who pulls the levers, and if Mr Costello doesn't know which levers to pull by now he should-- maybe it's time he quit.
PEARCE:
Well, I would have to say to you, Derryn, that I'd much rather rely on Mr Costello than Mr Keating in regard to tax.
HINCH:
[Laughs] OK. Thanks for your time.
PEARCE:
Thank you.
HINCH:
Bye-bye.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, that's Chris Pearce.
And just again those things about banks and not giving your password and don't give your PIN: there's a new Scamwatch initiative, it's called scamwatch - one word - .gov.au, or you can phone 1300 795 995.