ATO impersonation scams have become sophisticated, making it crucial to stay vigilant. One of the most effective ways to keep yourself safe is to Stop, Check and ProtectExternal Link.
Scammers often create a sense of urgency, hoping you'll act without thinking. By taking a moment to check the legitimacy of the communication, you can avoid situations that could lead to a financial loss or your personal information being stolen.
How to check
If you aren’t sure whether something is legitimate, start by checking contact details. Look up the contact information for the organisation and reach out to them directly via details you’ve sourced yourself.
Next, look for red flags in the message. Be cautious of messages that:
- contain a hyperlink
- create a sense of urgency or fear
- ask for personal information or payments
- contain spelling or grammar errors
- come from unofficial email addresses or phone numbers. Scammers use legitimate looking email addresses, so if you aren’t sure, always double check.
Finally, cross-check any information mentioned in the message, such as a tax debt, owed refund, or a problem with your account, through official sources. Always access our online services by typing the URL in a browser or via the ATO website.
We will never send unsolicited messages with hyperlinks or ask for personal information via email or SMS. To help protect your personal information, use your Digital ID, such as myID and set to the highest level you can achieve to access our online services.
By stopping and checking the authenticity of messages, calls and emails you can protect yourself and others from impersonation scams.
If you think a phone call, SMS, voicemail, email, or interaction on social media claiming to be from the ATO is not genuine, do not engage with it.
You should either:
- go to Verify or report a scam to see how to spot and report a scam, or
- if you have divulged information or paid a scammer money, phone us on 1800 008 540.
For more information on staying scam safe, visit the ScamwatchExternal Link website.