The Albanese Government is warning taxpayers to beware of an insidious new scam on social media.
Fraudsters impersonating tax office workers on Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms are duping Australians out of their money and personal information.
They begin by scanning public conversations on social media where taxpayers ask questions or make complaints about the ATO.
They then hijack the conversation using a fake ATO profile, contacting the member of the public directly with an offer to help resolve a complaint or follow up on a comment.
After earning their trust, the scammer asks them to click on a link or provide personal details.
The ATO is working with social media platforms and other government agencies to help remove these damaging interactions.
The best defence against such scams is community awareness. The ATO regularly publish information and advice on our social media and web pages on how to identify and report these scams.