Australian Taxation Office Introduces In-App Call Verification to Combat Scams
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has implemented a new in-app feature designed to help taxpayers verify the authenticity of calls claiming to be from the tax office. This feature, available on both Apple iOS and Google Android devices, sends a notification to a registered device within 30 seconds of activation. If a taxpayer receives a call from someone claiming to be the ATO, they can log into the app and use the verify call option. If no notification appears, the call is likely a scam, and the user is advised to hang up. This initiative is part of the ATO's $187 million Counter Fraud Program, which aims to reduce the increasing number of scam calls. In July 2025 alone, the ATO recorded nearly 7,500 impersonation scam reports. The feature shifts the burden of proof to the taxpayer, allowing them to verify calls rather than independently confirming a caller's identity. 
