Dear Beagle Editor, I had a phone call this morning with a recorded female voice that told me it was the ATO and I had charges against me and that as a result my house was under surveillance. I was told to ring a number to discuss the seriousness of the claim. I rang the ATO scam alert on 1800 008 540 and reported it. The ATO Agent told me the scam was nationwide and that a lot of people have been caught out by it. If you ring the number provided on the recorded message (an Australian female voice) you are told to purchase an Apple iTunes Card from the local Supermarket and to pay the debt which could range from a few hundred dollars to many thousands. One 84 year old lady after receiving the call drove a long way to give herself up to the police believing she had broken the law. The ATO Agent told me to make my local media outlets aware. If any one receives a call recorded or otherwise from the ATO the AFP or any other Government office then immediately report it online here. Government offices will always write to you and will not phone you. This scam is serious because it is targeting our senior citizens. Thank you Gary Keady
