An ever-increasing number of email and SMS scams are doing the rounds in 2023, but perhaps most troubling is the fact that they are becoming increasingly believable.

In our industry, they are typically sent from scammers purporting to be the ATO and seeking additional information from you as the taxpayer. There is even anecdotal evidence to suggest that one scam doing the rounds somehow had the specifics of taxpayers’ refunds in the email’s wording.

We thought it timely to pass on four key things to remember if you are confronted with a suspicious email or SMS:

1.      The ATO will never ask you for your tax file number (TFN), bank details or other personal information in an electronic communication (including email or text message).



2.      Be cautious when clicking on hyperlinks embedded in SMS and emails. You should always access ATO services by visiting ato.gov.au or my.gov.au, or via the ATO app.

3.      If you are unsure about the legitimacy of a myGov notification you have received, you should go directly to the myGov homepage and sign in to check your Inbox.

4.      Ensure you keep your tax file number (TFN) and passwords secure. Don’t share your password with others.