Tax authorities in Singapore have warned the public to be wary of bogus callers.
The Inland Revenue Authority (IRAS) said it has received several reports about scammers posing as tax officers. Imposters pretend to be IRAS officers chasing outstanding tax and persuade victims to pay them immediately via a bank transfer, according to Channel News Asia.
The deception is convincing as the telephone number displayed on caller ID is IRAS’ Individual Income Tax helpline, which is 63568300.
The Authority’s advice is to ignore all calls of this type as its officers would never telephone taxpayers to ask them to transfer money to a third party’s bank account. It also confirmed that possible payment options do not include iTunes or Steam credits.
Other suggested precautions include not divulging personal information such as ID numbers, passport numbers, bank account or credit card details over the phone.
The IRAS has urged anyone who has already been a victim of the scam to report it to police.
Gill Oliver is a business and property journalist who has written for The Daily Mail/Mail Online's This is Money, The Press Association and many national and regional newspapers and magazines.
Tax authorities in Singapore have warned the public to be wary of bogus callers.
The Inland Revenue Authority (IRAS) said it has received several reports about scammers posing as tax officers. Imposters pretend to be IRAS officers chasing outstanding tax and persuade victims to pay them immediately via a bank transfer, according to Channel News Asia.
The deception is convincing as the telephone number displayed on caller ID is IRAS’ Individual Income Tax helpline, which is 63568300.
The Authority’s advice is to ignore all calls of this type as its officers would never telephone taxpayers to ask them to transfer money to a third party’s bank account. It also confirmed that possible payment options do not include iTunes or Steam credits.
Other suggested precautions include not divulging personal information such as ID numbers, passport numbers, bank account or credit card details over the phone.
The IRAS has urged anyone who has already been a victim of the scam to report it to police.
Gill Oliver is a business and property journalist who has written for The Daily Mail/Mail Online's This is Money, The Press Association and many national and regional newspapers and magazines.
