By Chelsea Brunckhorst

With technology being enhanced every day the risk of scams is also on the rise via phone, mail, online and face-to-face. It is likely that almost everyone has been a target of a scam, such as email 'phishing' scams designed to trick you into giving away your money, passwords and personal details (such as your tax file number - TFN).

From time to time, the ATO will send out emails, SMS or post out documents promoting new services or alerting you to due dates, for example that tax time is approaching or that your business activity statement is due. However, they will never send an email requesting you to update or confirm confidential details such as your name, date of birth, address, passwords, credit card details etc.

If you receive an email claiming to be from the ATO you should be wary of its contents. Hoax emails often look very convincing but are generally poorly worded and contain spelling or grammatical mistakes.

The ATO provides the following simple tips in relation to scams (taken from www.ato.gov.au):

1. Report emails that offer tax refunds in exchange for entering personal information We can only calculate tax refunds after you have reported information to us about your financial activity for the year. Based on that information we automatically pay any refund due into your nominated bank account or send you a cheque. Any email that requests additional information before a refund can be released is a hoax. 2. Report emails which inform you that you owe us money or your account is in arrears and we will now be taking you to court We will never email you with this information. Once we have processed your information, we will send you a notice or account statement to let you know of your total tax liability and if you owe money. This will also tell you when you need to make any payments. 3. Always use our online services by visiting www.ato.gov.au Following this practice ensures you are logging into the genuine ATO website. You will always be prompted to sign with your AUSkey before you can enter the Business, BAS, and Tax Agent Portals. If you aren't asked to do this, the website is a fake.

As an extra precaution we recommend you type internet addresses directly into your internet browser rather than clicking on links embedded in emails. You can also check the URL of the page you are visiting to ensure the site is genuine. 4. Make sure you keep your tax file number (TFN) and passwords secure We recommend you change your passwords on a regular basis. Try using one that consists of a combination of numbers, letters (both upper case and lower case), punctuation, and special characters. Don't share your password with others and never reply to emails with your password or other sensitive information, including your TFN. Keep your password and TFN secure.

If you think you might have been target of an ATO scam please contact the ATO direct or speak to the staff at Power Tynan.