THE latest money-grabbing scam has hit residents in Warrandyte in the form of a hoax phone call to landlines or mobile phones.
On answering the phone, the listener receives a recording in a female voice with an American accent advising it is a call from The Australian Taxation Office suggesting you have failed to pay an outstanding debt. You are warned unless contact is made immediately, arrest warrants will be issued.
To prevent that from happening the caller is told to phone a Melbourne or Sydney number to arrange immediate payment.
Needless to say, it’s a hoax message. The Diary contacted the ATO who advise it has been flooded with calls and has nothing to do with the message. It has been reported to the Australian Federal Police, but the AFP are powerless to stop the calls as they originate from overseas and the phone numbers given (Voice-over-IP lines) are changed frequently.
If you receive such a call, the best advice is to simply hang up.
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