Is this text or email from Australian Taxation Office a scam?
No, the Australian Taxation Office is a genuine government agency; the catch is that its name is among the most impersonated in the country. Refund-bait texts, arrest-threat robocalls and counterfeit myGov login pages all trade on the ATO's authority, and they surge every tax time. The good news: a few quick checks almost always tell a real Australian Taxation Office message from a fake.
Genuine Australian Taxation Office links lead to ato.gov.au, my.gov.au — but a link can be made to look real, so don't go by the link alone. Below is exactly what a real Australian Taxation Office message looks like, the scams currently circulating in its name, the red flags that give a fake away, and a real example to compare against. Got a message in front of you? Check it now for an instant verdict.
ATO impersonation is one of Australia's most common government scams: in 2024, Scamwatch received over 23,700 reports of scams impersonating the ATO, myGov or Services Australia (and associated services such as Centrelink), with $4.0 million in reported losses. Source: National Anti-Scam Centre
What a real Australian Taxation Office message looks like
Genuine SMS from Australian Taxation Office typically arrive under the sender ID myGov or ATO or ATOGOV, and genuine links lead to ato.gov.au, my.gov.au. Treat a link to any other address as a warning sign.
- Genuine ATO SMS show sender IDs like 'ATO', 'ATOGOV' or 'myGov' — but scammers can spoof these, so judge the message itself, not just the sender name (a text from a mobile number is a red flag)
- The ATO and other government agencies won't send you a message with a link to log onto online services such as myGov — treat any such login link as a scam
- Official correspondence goes to your myGov inbox — a genuine alert tells you to log in yourself at my.gov.au, it doesn't link you there
- Refunds are paid into the bank account already registered with the ATO — a genuine refund won't require you to 'claim' it through a link
- No government agency will threaten you with arrest or demand payment by gift card, cryptocurrency or wire transfer — any such demand is a scam
What Australian Taxation Office will never do
- Send an SMS or email with a link to log in to myGov or other online services; treat any login link as the scam itself
- Demand payment by gift card, cryptocurrency or wire transfer, methods no government agency accepts
- Threaten immediate arrest, deportation or police action over a tax debt
- Ask for your card or bank details to 'release' a refund; genuine refunds go to the account already registered with the ATO
- Pressure you to stay on the phone and keep the call secret from your accountant, bank or family
Common Australian Taxation Office scams
- Tax-refund texts ('you have $740 waiting') linking to a fake myGov login page that steals your credentials
- Threatening robocalls claiming a warrant has been issued for your arrest over an unpaid tax debt unless you pay immediately
- Fake myGov login pages on lookalike domains (in the style of 'mygov-au[.]example' or 'my-gov-refund[.]example') used to take over your account
- Tax-time phishing emails posing as lodgement confirmations or 'updated tax statements'
Red flags to watch for
- Any SMS or email link asking you to log in to myGov or 'verify your identity' — government agencies don't send login links
- Demands for payment via gift cards (iTunes, Google Play), cryptocurrency or wire transfer — always a scam
- Threats of immediate arrest, deportation or police action over a tax debt
- Pressure to stay on the phone and not speak to your accountant, bank or family
- A 'refund' you weren't expecting that needs your card or bank details to be released
Australian Taxation Office scam examples
These composed examples show how scams impersonating Australian Taxation Office typically read, with the tells that give each one away. Compare them against anything you've received.
ATO: Your income tax assessment has been finalised and a refund is ready for release. Confirm your identity today at ato-refund-portal[.]example or the payment will be returned to the Commonwealth.
What gives it away:
- The ATO never sends links asking you to log in or 'confirm your identity'; a real refund lands in the bank account already registered with the ATO, no click required
- The lookalike link is not ato.gov.au or my.gov.au
- A refund that expires on a deadline is a pressure device; real assessments sit safely in your myGov inbox
A robocall states that the Tax Office has filed a lawsuit against you for tax evasion and that a warrant will be executed today unless you press 1. A 'case officer' then demands the debt be settled immediately through Bitcoin or Google Play gift cards, and tells you not to hang up or contact your accountant.
What gives it away:
- Arrest threats over a tax debt are always fraudulent; the ATO resolves genuine debts through letters, your myGov inbox and payment plans
- No government agency accepts gift cards or cryptocurrency; the payment method alone ends the question
- Being told not to speak to your accountant, bank or family is isolation, and it only serves the scammer
Subject: Your updated tax lodgement statement is available. Dear Taxpayer, your recent lodgement has been amended. Review the attached statement and sign in via secure-mygov-statements[.]example to accept the changes before your account is restricted.
What gives it away:
- Generic 'Dear Taxpayer' greeting and a sign-in link; the ATO tells you to log in yourself at my.gov.au and never links you to a login page
- The domain is a myGov lookalike, not my.gov.au (note the real address is 'my.gov.au' with the dot)
- An 'account restriction' deadline attached to a routine statement is manufactured urgency
Not sure about your message?
Paste the suspicious Australian Taxation Office text or email and get an instant scam verdict, free.
How to verify a message from Australian Taxation Office
- Don't tap the link, reply, call back or pay anything through the message
- Type my.gov.au into your browser yourself (never through a link), log in and open the linked ATO service; any real debt, refund or message will be waiting there
- If anything is unclear, call the ATO on a number you find on ato.gov.au, or ask your registered tax agent, who can see your real ATO account
- Compare the message against the current scams the ATO describes on its verify-or-report page (linked below)
If you have been scammed in Australian Taxation Office's name
Clicked the link, paid, or shared details? Act now. The first hour matters more than anything else you do later.
- If you entered myGov or ATO credentials on a fake page, go directly to my.gov.au, change your password and review your sign-in security settings immediately
- If you shared card or bank details or sent money, call your bank straight away to block the card and try to stop or recall the payment
- Contact IDCARE (idcare.org) for free identity support; myGov and tax file details are prime material for identity theft
- Tell your registered tax agent, if you have one, so they can watch for lodgements or detail changes you didn't make
- Report the scam to the ATO, Scamwatch and ReportCyber using the links below, and forward scam SMS to 7226 so carriers can block the sender
Where to report a scam impersonating Australian Taxation Office
Received — or fell for — a message impersonating Australian Taxation Office? Report it. It helps authorities and carriers shut the campaign down for everyone who gets the next one.
- Australian Taxation Office scam alerts — Australian Taxation Office's own page on current scams and how to report one.
- Scamwatch — Report the scam to the ACCC's national scam service.
- ReportCyber — Report cybercrime and financial loss to the police.
- ACMA — Complain about scam texts and spam SMS, email or calls.
- Forward to 7226 (SCAM) — Forward the scam SMS to short code 7226 so carriers can block the source.
- IDCARE — Free identity and cyber support if your details were taken.
Latest Australian Taxation Office scams in 2026
ATO impersonation runs to the tax calendar. Around July and through spring, refund-bait texts and fake lodgement emails dominate, because that is when Australians genuinely expect tax news; the rest of the year, debt-and-arrest robocalls and myGov credential harvesting carry the load. Scamwatch reporting shows ATO and myGov impersonation sitting among the most reported government scams, and the lure keeps mutating while the ask never does: a link to 'log in', a fee to 'release' a refund, or an untraceable payment to cancel a warrant. The defeating habit is simple and total: never reach myGov through a message. Type my.gov.au yourself, and let every login link fail the test automatically.
Frequently asked questions
Does the ATO send text messages?
Yes, the ATO does send SMS — for example reminders or confirmation codes — under sender IDs like 'ATO' or 'ATOGOV' (which scammers can spoof). But the ATO won't send a text with a link asking you to log in, claim a refund or hand over personal details. Any 'tax refund' link is a scam.
A caller said I'd be arrested today unless I paid my tax debt. Could that be real?
No. Threats of immediate arrest, deportation or police action are always fraudulent. The ATO resolves genuine debts through letters, your myGov inbox and payment plans — and no government agency demands payment by gift cards, cryptocurrency or wire transfer. Hang up.
How do I check whether I really have a tax debt or refund?
Type my.gov.au into your browser, log in to your own myGov account and open the linked ATO service — your real balance, refunds and messages are all there. If anything is unclear, call the ATO using a number listed on ato.gov.au, never one from the message.
I entered my myGov details on a fake page. What now?
Change your myGov password immediately by going directly to my.gov.au, and review your sign-in security settings. Then report the scam to Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au) and contact IDCARE for free identity support — myGov credentials can be used for serious identity theft, so act quickly.
Why do tax scams spike around July?
Tax time is when Australians genuinely expect to hear from the ATO about returns and refunds, so refund-themed phishing lands at a believable moment. Treat any message about your tax with extra suspicion between June and October, and always go to myGov directly rather than through a link.
How do I report an ATO scam?
Use the ATO's own verify-or-report page on ato.gov.au to check or report the contact, and report it to Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au) so the National Anti-Scam Centre can track it. Forward scam texts to 7226, which spells SCAM. If you lost money or shared credentials, also report to ReportCyber at cyber.gov.au.
Related scam types
Scams impersonating Australian Taxation Office usually fit one of these patterns. Learn how each works:
Related brands
Other government names scammers impersonate — check a message from one:
Sources
- Verify or report an ATO scam (Australian Taxation Office)
- Text or SMS scams (Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre))
- Targeting scams: report of the National Anti-Scam Centre on scams activity 2024 (National Anti-Scam Centre)
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice — always verify with Australian Taxation Office through an official channel.