How to Spot Fake Australian Government Tax Refund Scams and Phishing Emails

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How to Spot Fake Australian Government Tax Refund Scams and Phishing Emails. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

Scammers often impersonate the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) or myGov to trick small business owners and home office users into handing over personal and financial details. These fake tax refund emails and SMS messages typically claim you are owed money and urge you to click a link or reply with sensitive information. Knowing how to spot these scams helps protect your business, your clients, and your identity.

Quick Fix Steps

1. Do not click any links or open attachments in unexpected tax refund emails or SMS messages.
2. Check the sender's email address carefully. Official ATO messages come from addresses ending in @ato.gov.au.
3. Log in to your myGov account directly by typing https://www.my.gov.au into your browser. Never use links provided in emails or texts.
4. Delete the message and block the sender.
5. If you have already clicked a link or entered details, Open a Ticket immediately.

Detailed Instructions

How to Identify a Fake Tax Refund Email

• Urgent or threatening language: Messages claiming you must act immediately to receive a refund or avoid penalties.
• Generic greetings: Emails addressed to "Dear Customer" instead of your name.
• Suspicious sender addresses: Addresses that look similar to government domains but contain extra characters, misspellings, or public email providers like Gmail or Outlook.
• Requests for personal information: The ATO will never ask for your TFN, bank details, or passwords via email or SMS.
• Unexpected attachments: Files such as .pdf, .zip, or .exe that may contain malware.

How to Identify a Fake Tax Refund SMS

• Shortened URLs or links that do not direct to ato.gov.au or my.gov.au.
• Messages claiming you have a refund ready and asking you to reply with personal details.
• Sender IDs that mimic "ATO" or "myGov" but arrive from a standard mobile number.

How to Verify a Legitimate Message

1. Open your web browser and navigate directly to https://www.ato.gov.au or https://www.my.gov.au.
2. Sign in using your usual credentials.
3. Check your Inbox or Messages section within your myGov account for official correspondence.
4. If the refund or notice does not appear in your account, the email or SMS is fraudulent.

Note: The ATO will never send you an email or SMS containing a direct link to log in to your myGov account. Always type the website address yourself.

Warning: If you entered banking details or passwords after clicking a suspicious link, contact your financial institution immediately and change your passwords from a secure device.

Reporting Scams

You can report suspected tax scams to the ATO by emailing [email protected]. For SMS scams, forward the message to 0429 777 777 and then delete it.

If you believe your business email or computer has been compromised, Open a Ticket with 220 Internet Services so our Brisbane support team can assist with securing your systems.

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