150 ATO Officials Investigated in Massive TikTok GST Fraud Crackdown

• 150 ATO officials have been investigated in a massive GST fraud crackdown.
• The investigation resulted in criminal proceedings and employment terminations.
• The fraud involved individuals acquiring an ABN and fabricating business expenses to claim false GST refunds.
• The scam spread through TikTok videos and resulted in $2 billion in false payouts.
• More than 100 arrests and 16 convictions have been made in relation to the fraud.
• The ATO has recouped $123 million of the refunds and administered additional penalties of $120 million.
• Some Australians had their identities stolen to participate in the scam.
• More than 57,000 people are considered participants in Operation Protego.
• The ATO has agreed to reform recommendations.

Source: smartcompany.com.au

Note that this post was (partially) written with the help of AI. It is always useful to review the original source material, and where needed to obtain (local) advice from a specialist.

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