Increasing reports of myGov-related SMS and email scams targeting Australians

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is receiving increased reports of several myGov-related SMS and email scams.

At this time of year, when people expect some form of interaction with the ATO during tax time, be aware that cybercriminals take advantage by pretending to be the ATO or myGov. These scams look like they’ve come from an ATO or myGov email address and they ask you to click on a link to verify your details.

To make them seem more legitimate, cybercriminals use technology that causes these messages to appear in the same conversation thread as genuine messages from the ATO or myGov. The image is an example of this scam message.

If clicked on, the hyperlink takes you to a fake website that asks you to provide your details and other personal information for ‘verification purposes’. 

As always our advice is DON’T click any links and DON’T provide the information requested.

Does it affect me?

These SMS and email scams are widely circulating around Australia, so anyone can receive them.