The ACCC is warning small business owners and their employees about scammers taking advantage of the Australian government’s early access to super measures.
The scammers are targeting businesses and individuals by a variety of means posing as government service providers with an aim of gaining access to personal and confidential information which would enable them to access people’s super.
The ACCC warns that scammers will always ‘use a disguise’.
Scammers try to find out your superannuation information by cold-calling people, sending emails and text messages, and impersonating well-known businesses and government agencies such as Services Australia or myGov, the Department of Health and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), among others.
Tips to avoid superannuation scams
If you employ people in your small business, share these tips with your staff:
- Never give any information about your superannuation to someone who has contacted you — this includes offers to help you access your superannuation early under the government’s new arrangements.
- Hang up and verify their identity by calling the relevant organisation directly — find them through an independent source such as a phone book, past bill or online search.
- Check out the Superannuation early-access scams fact sheet and media release about superannuation scams.
- For more information on superannuation scams visit ASIC’s MoneySmart website.
- You can also find information about COVID-19 (coronavirus) scams on the Scamwatch website.
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