Verify or report a scam

Scammers may send text messages or emails advising of suspicious activity on your account. They may ask you to provide personal information through a return SMS or email. 

Where the ATO has identified suspicious activity on your account, we may place protective measures on the account to protect you.

We may SMS or email you to advise that suspicious activity has been identified on your account. However, we will never send an unsolicited message asking you to return personal identifying information through these channels.

If you're not sure whether it's really us, do not reply. Phone us on 1800 008 540 to check.

Protect your personal information. Do not give out your tax file number (TFN), date of birth, bank details, or other personal identifying information unless you trust the person you are dealing with, and they genuinely require these details.

Never share your myGov sign in details with anyone, including your registered tax agent.

Scammers send text messages or emails that contain a link for you to click on or a QR code to scan to log on to online services.

Scammers create fake log on or sign in pages that look real. They use these sites to steal your credentials (usernames and passwords).

We will never send you an email or unsolicited SMS with a link or a QR code to log in to online services.

Scammers send text messages or emails that contain a link to download files or attachments.

Scammers may do this to install malicious software on your computer to gain access to your data. Or they may keep your personal identifying or financial information for future misuse.

Do not download attachments, or click links, even if the message appears to come from us.

We will never send you an unsolicited SMS message that contains a hyperlink.

Scammers may threaten you with immediate arrest. They do this to make you afraid or panic and stop you thinking clearly.

We will never threaten you with immediate arrest.

Scammers may:

• demand you pay right now and keep you on the phone line until you pay
• say that if you hang up there will be a warrant for your arrest.

They use these threats to make you pay by the end of the call.

We will never demand you stay on the line until a payment is made.

Scammers may:

• send unsolicited pre-recorded messages (robocalls) to your phone
• leave messages on your voicemail asking you to call back.

We will never send unsolicited pre-recorded messages to your phone.

Only phone us on a number you have looked up yourself. Do not call the number given to you in the call or voicemail.

Scammers may use technology to show real ATO or Australian phone numbers in the caller ID or call log.

Calls from the ATO do not show a number. They will show as No Caller ID.

Only phone us on a number you have looked up yourself. Do not call the number shown in caller ID or in your call log.

Scammers may request that you pay a fee to receive a tax refund.

They will usually ask you to pay the fee using your credit card and then steal your credit card details.

We will never ask you to pay a fee to receive a refund.

Do not provide your credit card details to anyone unless you trust the person you’re dealing with, and they genuinely require these details.

Scammers may request that you pay money into a personal bank account.

This could be an Australian-based account established by scammers. The money moves accounts until it is sent offshore.

We will only ever ask you to pay a tax debt into a bank account held by the Reserve Bank of Australia. Check online to see that the Bank-State-Branch (BSB) number is one for the Reserve Bank of Australia.

You can find out about legitimate ways to make payments to the ATO.

Scammers may tell you that your TFN has been cancelled or suspended due to money laundering or other criminal activity.

They will say you either need to:

• pay money to avoid being arrested or sent to court
• transfer your money to a safe bank account to protect your TFN from future misuse.

We do not cancel TFNs.

Always check that you're dealing with a legitimate agency before providing any information. If you're not sure, hang up.

You can phone us to check. Only call us on a number you have looked up yourself. Do not call the number given to you in the call or voicemail.

Scammers may refuse to allow you to speak with a trusted adviser or your regular tax agent.

They do this to prevent anyone from telling you that it’s a scam and stopping you from paying.

We will never prevent you from discussing your tax affairs with your trusted adviser or agent.

Scammers may request payment by retail gift cards or vouchers such as iTunes or Google Play.

These vouchers can be easily purchased and sold globally. They are an untraceable form of currency (money).

We will never request payment of a debt through iTunes, Google Play, or other vouchers.

You can find out about legitimate ways to make payments to the ATO.

Scammers may request you pay money through offshore wire transfer (where the scammers are located).

We will not request payment of a debt through offshore wire transfer.

You can find out about legitimate ways to make payments to the ATO.

Scammers may offer payment arrangements if you can’t pay the full amount.

This is one to increase instances of payments and the total amount paid.

Before you enter a payment arrangement, contact us or your tax agent using a number you have looked up yourself.

Scammers may attempt to make a conference call with a fake tax professional, law enforcement officer or another official.

They do this to make the call seem real and increase your fear, but the second person will be another scammer.

We will never make a conference call with a third party, such as your tax agent or law enforcement.

Know your tax affairs – you can log into ATO online services through myGov to check your tax affairs at any time. You can also contact your tax agent or the ATO.

Scammers may request payment by Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies, either directly or deposited into an ATM.

This currency is difficult to trace and offers more anonymity.

We do not accept payment in cryptocurrency.

You can find out about legitimate ways to make payments to the ATO.

Scammers may request that you pay money through a cash delivery either through a courier service or made in person at a pre-determined public location.

We will never ask you to pay through a cash delivery.

You can find out about legitimate ways to make payments to the ATO.

Scammers may request that you pay through cardless cash ATM withdrawals.

We will never ask you to pay a tax debt through a cardless cash ATM withdrawal.

You can find out about legitimate ways to make payments to the ATO.

Scammers may create fake social media accounts and send requests to you asking for personal identifying information or payments.

We're actively working to combat these scams as they arise.

We are on FacebookExternal Link, InstagramExternal Link, XExternal Link and LinkedInExternal Link, but we will never use these social media platforms to ask you to provide personal information or documentation, or ask you to make payments.

You can tell it's genuinely our Facebook (Australian Taxation Office) or Instagram (@austaxoffice) account as our pages have a blue verification tick to the right of our name. Our X account has a grey tick next to our username (@ato_gov_au).

You can verify us on LinkedIn by ensuring that the account you’re engaging with:

• has the official ATO logo and organisational name next to the message. Beware of slight variations of our name, like ‘Australia’ rather than ‘Australian’ Taxation Office
• has been posting on LinkedIn actively, and has been doing so for a long time
• only provides you with email addresses that end with ‘.gov.au’
• doesn’t have typos or grammatical errors in its messages
• has a large number of account followers.

We will never interact with you through Whatsapp.

Never share information such as your TFN, myGov or bank account details on social media, even through private message.

If you comment on our social media posts, scammers may respond and offer to provide support, asking you to direct message them away from our official page.

We can’t access or discuss your personal ATO account on social media. We’ll never:

• send you a private or direct message
• engage with you outside our official social media pages
• ask you for personal identifying information such as your TFN.