Yahoo Finance ATO warning taxpayers over myGov ‘direct refund’ scam email
ATO impersonation scams are on the rise and taxpayers have been urged to remain vigilant.
Scammers are sending fake emails and text messages to try and steal unwitting Australians’ personal information to commit tax fraud.
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has received a high number of reports of scammers using fake myGov sites in an attempt to steal sign-in details and gain access to accounts.
Fraudsters will often encourage people to click these links by sending emails or texts with phrases such as: ‘You are due to receive an ATO Direct refund’ or ‘You have a new message in your myGov inbox – click here to view’.
Have you fallen victim to a scam? Contact tamika.seeto@yahooinc.com
Once scammers gain access to your myGov account, they can then make fraudulent lodgements in your name and change bank details so any payments are redirected to their account.
“The ATO and myGov won't send you an SMS or email with a link to access online services. These should be accessed directly by typing ato.gov.au or my.gov.au into your browser,” the ATO said.
ATO impersonation scams have been on the rise, with the tax office receiving 1,461 reports in February. This was up 1.2 per cent from the previous month.
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Aussies urged to use myGov app
Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten said using the myGov app was a “very secure way” to use myGov.
“In the same way many of us use banking apps, most modern phones will allow you to sign in to myGov with fingerprint or face recognition, so you don’t need to use a user ID, password and an SMS code,” Shorten said.
“With the number of scam websites increasing dramatically, everyone needs to be vigilant. Last year, Services Australia and partners responded to over 6,000 scams attempting to impersonate myGov.”
Last year, the ATO rolled out new fraud controls to help protect Aussies from online identity theft. This included using myGovID to strengthen security during the sign-in processes.
The response comes after Aussies reported losing more than $476 million to scams in 2023, with phishing scams the most commonly reported scam.
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