Officers are investigating a "number of incidents" where people have been defrauded of amounts ranging from tens of thousands of dollars to a hundred thousand by scammers.

Criminal Investigations Manager Response Sergeant Marcus Boorman said many of the incidents involved a similar approach.

"Often the call comes from what appears to be an Australian phone number and the person claims to be from the ATO. They say that the victim must repay a tax debt. They may also threaten arrest if the victims don't pay up," he said.

"They'll often ask victims to pay by money transfer or provide their credit card details. It's incredibly difficult to get your money back once you've been scammed."

Sergeant Boorman said police hoped the public would spread the word to friends and families, particularly to those that might be vulnerable to this type of scam.

"The more people know about how these scams work, the more likely they'll recognise a scammer calling."

If you receive a call or email "out of the blue" from someone claiming to represent the ATO and that you are either entitled to or owe money, police advise you to hang up or delete the email.

The ATO's official number 13 28 61, if you would like to confirm the original call.

Report scams to the ACCC via www.scamwatch.gov.au or by calling 1300 795 995. If you've been defrauded, you can report it to police on 131 444.