The ATO and Services Australia have issued a joint warning to the general public about an email impersonation scam currently targeting taxpayers and claiming to be linked to the myGov portal.
The scammers are reportedly impersonating representatives from the ‘myGov customer care team’ to steal personal details from individuals’ myGov accounts.
The scam is asking people to verify their identity by clicking on a link sent via email, which directs them to a fake myGov login page designed to steal personal information such as passport and driver’s licence details.
As such, the ATO is advising people to stay away from clicking on any links of this kind based on the fact emails or SMS notifications from myGov will never include a link to log into a myGov account.
Despite concerns, the ATO has reassured people the myGov and myGovID systems have not been compromised.
Services Australia general manager Hank Jongen acknowledged scams are becoming more sophisticated.
“If you’ve opened an email that looks suspicious, don’t click on any links, open any attachments or reply to it,” Jongen said.
“If you’ve received the suspicious email and provided your myGov sign-in information, you should take immediate action.
“Change your myGov password and if you’ve provided your banking details, contact your bank.”
Victims are being urged to call Services Australia’s scams and identity theft helpdesk if concerned about the safety of their personal information.
ATO assistant commissioner Ben Forster pointed out taxpayers need to be conscious of phishing scams like this around this time of year.
“In the lead-up to tax time, we expect to see more of these malicious attempts to harvest identity details. So we encourage everyone to be on alert and take the time to remind family and friends to be on the lookout and stay safe online,” Forster noted.
To protect personal details from scammers, people are encouraged to install anti-virus software, not share their passwords with others and not click on links from unknown sources.
