Tax Office warns of cheque scam

The Tax Office has warned taxpayers to be aware of counterfeit ATO cheques supposedly issued by the ATO and drawn on the Reserve Bank of Australia.

“The counterfeit cheques are realistic in look and feel authentic; only after being put through a fluorescent scanner are they revealed to be fakes,” the Tax Commissioner said.

The counterfeit cheques are often being sent from overseas as advance payment for accommodation, quite often around or near universities.

The cheques are made out for a few thousand dollars more than the asking rent, and there is an accompanying letter requesting the balance of the overpayment be returned to the sender via Western Union transfer.

If taxpayers are contacted by someone claiming to be from the government or a financial institution, they should verify who they are by independently finding their contact details and contacting them directly.