Use these simple steps to protect yourself against scammers this tax time.

Scammers take advantage of tax time by impersonating the ATO through fake emails and messages, hoping you’ll respond quickly without verifying if they are genuine. ATO email impersonation scams alone are up 300% from this time last year.

Scammers know you’re busy, often distracted, and want you to respond quickly without verifying who is contacting you. They are trying to trick you into handing over personal information so they can steal your identity and commit fraud in your name.

There are 3 simple steps you can take to protect yourself:

1. Stop: Never share your myGov sign in details, and only share personal information such as your Tax File Number (TFN) or bank account details if you trust the person and they genuinely require them. If in doubt, don’t provide anything.
2. Check: Take a sec to check. Ask yourself could it be fake? Is it really the ATO? If a link or QR code is directing you to provide information or to log into an online portal Don’t click on it!
3. Protect: If something doesn’t feel right or you notice unusual activity, act quickly.

Remember:

• The ATO may send you an SMS or email asking you to contact them but they’ll never send an unsolicited message with a link asking you to return personal information or log into their online services.
• The ATO do have a Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn accounts, but they’ll never use these platforms to ask you to provide personal information, documentation or payments.

Recovering from identity theft can be a stressful and complicated process. If something feels off, don’t engage with it – visit verify or report a scam on our website or phone on 1800 008 540 for confirmation.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comment section. We will be happy to answer all your queries.