Impersonation scams are on the rise

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Ever received an unexpected call, text or email asking you to ack quickly?  We are sure you have.

Small mistakes become big mistakes when we’re busy or distracted – sending an email too quickly or clicking a link without thinking twice.

Impersonation scams are common threats we’re seeing as we approach the end of the financial year.

These scams can arrive by text message or email and often appear to come from banks, government agencies, or even someone you know – commonly try to create urgency – warning you there’s a problem with your account, a missed payment, or a tax issue that needs immediate action.

Scam activity increases at tax time, with common scams related to:-

• tax refunds or outstanding tax payments
• emails or texts claiming to be from the ATO or myGov
• request to ‘confirm’ personal or banking details

The safest response is to stop, don’t engage, and verify the request through official channels.

Do not engage immediately.  Nothing is so important that it cannot wait – days, even weeks. 

Put the urgency aside until you are sure it is legitimate.

Acctweb