AGGRESSIVE scammers claiming to be from the Australian Tax Office (ATO) continue to prey on Margaret River residents with more calls being reported last week.
While many residents are wise to the scam, the threat is still very real with an 81-year-old Perth man being taken for $110,000, the largest reported in WA, and more victims continuing to be duped.
The 81-year-old was nursing his ill wife back to health when he was contacted and threatened by scammers claiming to be from the ATO saying he owed money and would be jailed if it was not paid immediately.
Over three weeks the man was harassed, with his children's employment also threatened.
The man made 15 separate payments via bank transfers and wire transfers through MoneyGram.
He became suspicious when he refused to pay a further demand for $32,000 and the amount was then discounted to $15,000.
This case brings the total reported losses to the ATO scam so far this year to more than $157,000, with Consumer Protection receiving 866 enquiries about the scam.
The vast majority of the enquiries and loss reports were received in the past two months with 328 enquiries and $20,586 in losses reported in May and 393 enquiries and $127,635 losses reported in June.
Consumer Protection Commissioner Anne Driscoll was alarmed at the increase in reported losses to scams.
"I am concerned that the increasingly threatening nature of the ATO scam calls is intimidating many in our community, including seniors, with the urgent demands forcing victims to respond and lose their money to these heartless and ruthless criminals," Ms Driscoll said.
"The ATO scam has been around for many years but I am disturbed that the scammers have now heightened their threatening tactics to coerce their victims into transferring money in order to pay fictitious tax bills or get fictitious refunds or rebates.
"The most recent tactic has been hostile threats of court action, an arrest warrant or even prison for tax evasion unless money is paid as soon as possible."
The money is usually asked to be sent by either bank transfer to an account likely to be opened with a stolen identity or belonging to a money mule, Load & Go card or by wire transfer services such as Western Union or Moneygram.
Ms Driscoll said the ATO would never ask for funds in this aggressive manner.
If in doubt, contact the ATO independently to verify if the call was genuine, but don't use any contact numbers or email addresses provided by the caller.