The Australian Tax Office has carried out more raids this week as part of a “zero tolerance” crackdown on GST tax fraud.
Five suspected Sydney scammers could now face charges and 40,000 more people are under investigation, suspected of inventing fake companies to claim fake refunds.
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The ATO launched raids this week with the support of the Australian Federal Police, based on last month’s effort targeting 19 people suspected of being involved in GST fraud.
National crackdown is part of a major investigation by the ATO-led group on serious financial crimes that prosecutes people “suspected of inventing fake companies to claim fake refunds,” SFCT chief Will Day said Friday.
This week’s raids targeted five Sydney-based individuals, after last week the ATO warned offensive Australians that they were “facing or facing serious consequences”.
Last month at least six arrests were made in Victoria for fraud.
Now Day, who is also an ATO deputy commissioner, has another warning for scammers: “If you think they won’t catch you, think again … there’s no place to hide.”
“Your name could be next on our list and you could face serious consequences, including imprisonment.”
Another 40,000 people are currently under investigation, suspected of being involved in a major GST fraud.
Alleged scammers have been arrested and another 40,000 people are under investigation for inventing fake companies to claim fake refunds. Credit: ATO
Orders have already been executed at locations in NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland.
AFP Commander of Corruption and Economic and Corporate Crime Christopher Woods said: “Every fraudulently obtained dollar represents lost funds that could have been used to benefit the everyday Australians of our community.”
The average amount fraudulently claimed is about $ 20,000.
GST fraud involves the invention of fake companies and Australian business number (ABN) applications and the sending of fictitious business activity extracts to try to receive a refund of fake GST.
The ATO launched Operation Protego in May and has since prevented the issuance of “more than a billion dollars in fraudulent claims.”
Social media platforms have played “a key role in promoting this type of GST fraud,” according to Day, who added that the task force has information sharing agreements and is working with social media platforms. .
“We’ve also had reports of people offering to buy and sell myGov details to access those refunds,” he said.
SFCT has shared information from some 29,000 people suspected of fraud at the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.
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