BALLARAT residents are urged to be cautious of phone calls from scammers purporting to be Australian Tax Office representatives.
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The scams are classified as ‘reclaim’ scams on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s Scam Watch website.
“Reclaim scams try to convince you that you are entitled to a rebate or reimbursement from the government, a bank or trusted organisation,” the website said.
Scam Watch shows more than $360,000 has been lost in reclaim scams this year from more than 5700 reports.
Buninyong MP Geoff Howard has preached caution after he received a call from a reclaim scammer on Friday morning.
“If you fear that you have become a victim of a scam or your privacy breached, immediately notify your financial institution or other relevant organisation and report it to the police,” Mr Howard said.
More information on can be found on the https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/resources-and-education/scams website.
