An Australian has urged others to check for unclaimed super debt after the Australian Taxation Office deposited $198 into her bank account.
The woman was initially unsure why she had received the money, so she shared a screenshot of a text message from her bank on Reddit on Tuesday asking for advice from others.
‘From ANZ: Hello, your tax refund has been received! You have received $198.07 from the ATO in your ANZ account,” the text message said.
Unsure if the text message was a scam, the woman explained that she had already received a $900 refund after her tax agent filed her return in July.
“I just received a text from the ATO saying I’ve received a $200 refund,” she said.
‘I thought it was a scam, but I checked my bank account and the money is there.
‘I’m very confused. I checked MyGov, but I can’t find anything about this second tax return.’
The woman initially thought the message she received claiming $198 from the Australian Taxation Office had deposited $198 into her bank account was a scam
Uncertain about the source of the money, the woman decided to contact the Australian Taxation Office for clarification.
In an update to her post, she explained that the IRS informed her that the money came from unclaimed retirement benefits.
“Upon further investigation, it appears that a super account from a previous job that I had forgotten about was closed and they sent the money back to me,” she wrote.
‘I just wish they had sent out a notice or some details about it as I haven’t received any information from the super or the ATO about this, which made it look very much a scam.’
The warning follows a reminder from the Australian Taxation Office, urging Australians to check for lost or unclaimed superannuation benefits.
In September, the Internal Revenue Service announced it was holding $17.8 billion in unclaimed funds.
Since 2021, the IRS has reunited nearly $6.4 billion with its rightful owners.
Retirees could see a boost to their savings, as $471 million of the unclaimed funds belong to people over 65.
Outdated contact details are a major reason why many Australians are missing out on their unclaimed super.
“We are urging Australians to check whether some of the $17.8 billion in lost and unclaimed super belongs to them,” ATO Deputy Commissioner Emma Rosenzweig said.
‘If you’ve changed jobs, moved or simply forgotten to update your details, you may have lost super or missed your claim.’
The Australian Taxation Office told the woman the amount was her unclaimed super
Australians can check their super account details online by logging into the ATO’s service portal via MyGov or by contacting their superannuation fund provider directly.
Lost and unclaimed super accounts can be transferred to another eligible super account, or if the recipient is over 65 years old or the amount is less than $200, it can be transferred directly to the recipient’s bank account.
“Old superannuation is an important part of your retirement, and we want to ensure Australians get access to the investment they have worked for,” Rosenzweig said.