Can you pick a scam?
Category : Practice Updates
You should be wary of SMS and emails claiming to be from the ATO. Hoax SMS and emails can look very convincing. To protect yourself from scams and fraud, remember to look out for emails that:
- are unsolicited, and check whether emails are from a valid ATO email address – scams may include an official-looking email address to give you a false sense of security
- do not address you by your name, or address you by your email address
- as for your personal or financial information, such as your date of birth, address, credit card details and PIN – the ATO will never ask you to provide this information via SMS or email
- are poorly worded and contain spelling and grammatical mistakes – fake emails often contain misspellings, poor grammar, missing words, and gaps in logic; these types of mistakes help scammers avoid scam filters
- promise you money
- contain an attachment for you to lodge a form – opening one could cause you to download spyware or a virus
- contain fake links for you to lodge a form – in emails, check where the link is going by moving your mouse over the link the email and look at the URL in the bottom bar of the browser; if it looks suspicious, don’t click it
Remember, the ATO can only calculate tax refunds after you have reported information to them about your financial activity for the year. The ATO will also automatically pay any refund due into your nominated bank account or send you a cheque. If you receive an SMS or email asking for personal information, report it to the ATO or if you are unsure, please contact our office.