ATO warning over 'deluge' coming for taxpayers in coming weeks: 'Catch you off-guard'
Australians are being warned to watch out for tax scam emails and text messages designed to catch you off guard. Tax time is just around the corner and scammers are already trying to take advantage of the situation.
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has reported a 300 per cent increase in impersonation scam emails from this time last year. It said it generally sees more reports around this time, as scammers know this is when you expect to hear from it.
CPA Australia tax lead Jenny Wong said Aussies should prepare for a 'deluge of scam activity' ahead of June 30.
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'Scammers take advantage of any situation, and at tax time that means targeting unsuspecting individuals through unsolicited messages claiming to be the ATO or another reputable organisation,' she said.
'These 'phishing' scams not only look legitimate, but they're designed to catch you off-guard. That's why you'll often see them arrive first thing in the morning because you may be more likely to have a momentary lapse in judgement.'
The ATO said scammers would send fake messages trying to trick people into handing over their personal information.
'Once they have your details, they can steal your identity and commit fraud in your name,' it said.
'They know you're busy and probably distracted wrapping up end of financial year, so they'll ask you to respond quickly hoping you don't verify the interaction.'
Australians lost $119 million to scams in the first four months of 2025, according to Scamwatch data.
This was despite the overall number of scam reports dropping by nearly a quarter to 72,230.
Phishing scams accounted for $13.7 million in losses, nearly tripling compared to $4.6 million in early 2024.
ATO tax scams will usually create a sense of urgency or claim you are owed a significant refund, Wong said.
Scam emails seen by CPA Australia include titles like: 'Urgent new notification in your account inbox' and 'New Tax Lodgement'.
They usually direct you to log into your myGov account and claim to provide a secure link for you to click.
They may try to trick you into clicking links to see 'official government correspondence', an 'update regarding your benefits', a 'new refund notification' or say you need to click to 'avoid being penalised'.
The ATO does not use hyperlinks in unsolicited SMS messages, so if you see this, it is likely a scam.
The ATO will also never ask for passwords, account numbers or other sensitive data via email or SMS.
If you are unsure about a message, contact the ATO on 1800 008 540 or visit verify or report a scam.Fehler beim Abrufen der Daten
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