Macau scammers sharpen their knives for tax season

KUALA LUMPUR: It’s that time of the year when you will have to file your taxes but be careful not to pay the wrong “tax collectors”.

With the tax-filing season, Bukit Aman says scammers may pose as Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) officials to intimidate taxpayers into thinking they have tax arrears and face action if they do not pay up.

Federal Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Comm Datuk Mohd Kamarudin Md Din has reminded the public to be extra cautious when receiving such calls, which are indicative of a Macau scam.

“A tell-tale sign that you are dealing with a Macau scam is when they tell you they will connect you to another law enforcement agency.

“None of the law enforcement or government departments have that type of interconnectivity where we can simply forward your calls,” he told The Star.

Comm Mohd Kamarudin said these syndicates use VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology to mask their phone numbers as they try to convince potential victims of their authenticity.

“The best way to deal with such calls is to tell them that you will head straight to the department they claim to be from.

“Go to or contact the nearest police station or the agency they claim to be from for further advice.

“In these situations, do not be afraid and always remember that none of the law enforcement agencies will demand that you transfer your money or make payments directly to a third-party bank account,” he said.

LHDN has previously reminded the public that it does not discuss tax matters over personal calls and all requests for information and notices for tax arrears are carried out via official letters or emails with the domain @hasil.gov.my.

Comm Mohd Kamarudin said there are various resources available for the public to verify callers.

“The public can check if the bank accounts which they are asked to transfer money to are under investigation for cheating at semakmule.rmp.gov.my.

“They can also get advice from the police via the CCID Scam Response Centre at 03-2610 1559 or 03-2610 1599,” he said.

Taxpayers have until April 30 to submit the BE form and June 30 for the B form.

In an effort to encourage taxpayers to submit their forms online, LHDN is giving users of efiling until May 15 for those submitting the BE form and July 15 for the B form.