Scams & Fraud — What to Watch For

ALITAX · Bilal Jivraj — Registered Tax Agent 25287564. Original guidance from 10+ years of DASP and tax casework.

Departing workers are targeted precisely because you are new to the system and about to leave the country with limited ability to follow up if something goes wrong. Here is what to watch for.

The “express refund” trap

Some operators — even registered tax agents — promise fast “express refunds,” lodge your tax return without your full knowledge or approval, and take hefty commissions you were never clearly told about. Some even direct your refund into their own trust account without your proper authority.

The inflated-deduction scam

Others get into your myGov, claim thousands in work expenses you never spent to inflate your refund, and take a big fee. Then the ATO audits the return — and because it is your declaration, you repay it all, with penalties. The operator is gone.

Protect your TFN

Don’t give your Tax File Number out randomly. Your TFN is one of your most sensitive pieces of information — never share it with an unregistered website, a random caller, or a “too good to be true” refund offer. Once someone has your TFN and date of birth, they can lodge in your name. Share it only with a registered agent you have checked and chosen.

How we are different

At ALITAX we never lodge without two separate approvals — you accept the quote first, then you sign the return. You always see exactly what you are charged and what you receive. That is our transparency promise, and it exists precisely because we know how vulnerable you are once you have left Australia.