Ato refund email scam bas deadline

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: Ato refund email scam bas deadline. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

Phishing emails impersonating the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) are common during BAS lodgement and tax return periods. These messages often claim you are owed a refund or that your account requires urgent action. Learning how to verify these communications helps protect your business from financial loss and identity theft.

Quick Fix Steps

1. Do not click any links or open attachments in the suspicious email.
2. Check the sender's email address carefully for misspellings or unusual domains.
3. Log in to your official ATO account directly by typing the website address into your browser.
4. Contact the ATO through official channels if you are unsure about the communication.
5. Delete the email and report it to the appropriate authorities.

Detailed Instructions

Identify Common Indicators of Fraud

Scam emails often share similar characteristics. Look for these warning signs before taking any action:

• Urgent or threatening language demanding immediate payment or action.
• Claims that you are owed a tax refund and must provide bank details.
• Generic greetings such as "Dear Customer" instead of your name or ABN.
• Spelling and grammar errors throughout the message.
• Sender addresses that do not end in an official ato.gov.au domain.
• Attachments claiming to be tax forms, invoices, or refund documents.

Verify the Sender Details

1. Open the suspicious email without clicking any links.
2. Check the actual sender email address (not just the display name) for misspellings or unusual domains.
3. Check that the domain matches ato.gov.au exactly.
4. Be wary of addresses using public email services such as Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo.
5. Look for subtle misspellings, such as ato-refund.com or tax-refund-ato.net.

Avoid Unsolicited Links and Attachments

1. Do not click links embedded in unexpected emails, even if they appear legitimate.
2. Do not download or open attachments from unknown senders.
3. If you need to visit the ATO website, type ato.gov.au directly into your browser's address bar.
4. Use bookmarks you have previously saved for official government websites.

Verify Through Official Channels

1. Visit ato.gov.au by typing the address manually into your browser.
2. Log in to myGov or the ATO online services portal using your existing credentials.
3. Check your official inbox and notifications within the secure portal.
4. If the refund or request is legitimate, it will appear in your official account.
5. Call the ATO using a phone number found on their official website, not one provided in the email.

The ATO will never send unsolicited emails with links to log in to your account or request your tax file number, bank details, or passwords via email or SMS.

If you have already clicked a link or entered personal details, change your passwords immediately and contact your financial institution. Report the incident to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au.

Recommended Actions

1. Mark the email as junk or phishing in your email application.
2. Delete the message from your inbox and deleted items folder.
3. Report the scam to Scamwatch to help warn other Australian businesses.
4. Inform your employees and bookkeeper about the scam attempt.
5. Review your email security settings and enable multi-factor authentication where available.

If you need assistance securing your email or reviewing a suspicious message, Open a Ticket.

If you host with us, you don't need to do this yourself — just Open a Ticket and our Brisbane team will get it sorted.

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