The Government says it has “comprehensively disrupted” scammers posing as the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) through a technology trial with telcos. Communications Minister Paul Fletcher reported that Australians made over 107,000 scam impersonation reports to the ATO in 2019.

Scammers made calls appear to come from legitimate ATO phone numbers. They used software to trick caller line identification (CLI) on most mobile and modern fixed-line phones. “Instead of showing the real overseas number, they ‘overstamped’ it with another,” the Government explained.

At the Government’s request, Australian telcos joined the ATO and the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) for a three-month trial. They used software to detect and block calls overstamped with official ATO numbers. “Our Government acted to stop scammers from using spoofed ATO numbers to target Australians,” Fletcher said.

Fletcher called the trial “highly successful” but admitted it won’t stop all scam calls. “It will, however, prevent scammers from using real ATO numbers on caller ID, making their schemes less convincing,” he added.

The Government urged people receiving suspicious calls to hang up and contact the organization directly using a trusted source. “If unsure about an ATO interaction, do not reply. Call 1800 008 540,” officials advised.

This initiative is part of the Government’s Scam Technology Project, aimed at tackling scam calls across Australian networks. The Communications Alliance is also drafting an industry code requiring telcos to trace, block, and share information about scam calls with regulators.

Article courtesy: https://www.itnews.com.au/

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