The tax return season is almost upon us and experts are warning SMBs to be wary of online scams masked as tax related services by the hackers who are offering them.
With an estimated 2.5 million Aussies using the Government’s electronic tax return service (e-Tax) each year, cyber criminals are using this to get access to user’s hard-earned funds and personal information.
AVG security advisor Michael McKinnon said cyber criminals have begun their end of financial year scams, which aim to trick taxpayers into revealing sensitive and financial information.
“Internet crime and taxes are now two of life’s certainties. As younger members of the community join the workforce and others shift from paper-based to online tax return processes, there is always a new audience for inventive tax season scams,” McKinnon said.
McKinnon warns people to be suspicious if they receive any email offering government services – from baby bonus applications to notifications about changes made to their tax rates.
But that’s not all. In their latest attempt, cyber criminals have added carbon tax compensation to their list of cons. A simple click from an email attachment could redirect you to a malicious website putting you at risk of identity theft and computer viruses that extract personal and financial details.
McKinnon said any email that sounds too good to be true is, and should be ignored.
“That’s not how the ATO or any other Australian government agency operates,” he added.
As June 30 approaches, businesses are advised to follow these tips to ensure their tax return is filed safely:
- Review: Taxpayers should use the end of financial year to review their personal or business online security systems to ensure protection is fully and automatically up-to-date – on all computers, phones, other mobile technologies, plus USB and other memory devices.
- Research: By keeping up to date with the ATO and SCAMWatch online security pages about how to recognise, avoid and report scams.
- Protect your information: When communicating with your tax advisor, taxpayers should create a password protected Zip file of your financial data.
- Be smart: Never open or click on links found within an email. Always open your e-Tax filing directly from the ATO’s site.
- Be internet safe: Never use a public WiFi connection without a firewall. Always use a trusted WiFi or Ethernet connection from your home or office to file your tax return.
- Be alert: If you haven’t directly requested information, never respond to communications you did not initiate.
- To the bin: Delete all related emails from your server once you’ve filed your return.
- Report it: If you receive suspicious communication from ‘the ATO’ or any other ‘government department’, do not click on any links in an email or answer phone questions. Report it immediately to the ATO.
