You should be wary of emails, faxes, SMS and phone calls claiming to be from the ATO.
These could be scams designed to trick you into paying money or providing personal information.
Once they have your information, scammers may use it to:
- access your bank accounts
- take out loans in your name
- lodge false tax returns or BAS statements
- claim Centrelink or other benefits.
How to report a scam
If you think you are a victim of a tax-related scam, phone ATO on 1800 008 540(8.00am–6.00pm, Monday–Friday). You should do this as soon as possible.
If you receive a suspicious email claiming to be from the ATO, do not click on any links, open attachments or respond to the sender. Forward the entire email to ReportEmailFraud@ato.gov.au without changing or adding any additional information and delete from your inbox and sent folder.
If you wish to report a scam outside ATO working hours, you can do so via Scamwatch. If you have been impacted by cybercrime you can report this through the Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network ( ACORN).
You should also contact your bank or financial institution if you think a scammer has your credit card details.
The ATO will never:
- threaten you with immediate arrest
- ask you to pay money to receive a refund or payment from us
- ask you to pay a debt via iTunes vouchers, or pre-paid credit card or store gift cards
- ask you to provide personal information, such as your tax file number (TFN) or credit card number, via email or SMS
- ask you to pay money into a personal bank account
- direct you to download files from the internet, or open attachments in unsolicited emails.
