[Jan A]

Scam purporting to be from the ATO​

Another scam! I got this one twice today. My tax return was done and processed last year. This email is clearly a fake. See reprint below. This email is definitely not from the ATO. Even the heading makes no sense. It claims it is from the “ATO Support Team” which does not exist. Anything addressed “Valued Taxpayer” is not from the ATO. You are not “valued” by the ATO as you would be a valued customer of some business. If you receive a genuine communication from the ATO, it will include your name, address and Tax File Number. Anything that does not include these details should be ignored and deleted. This one contains a subtle threat suggesting that you pay any outstanding debt by way of the link “thereby avoiding any potential additional charges.” This link will ask you to update your details, in other words provide these scammers with your banking information.

If you see this one, delete it. If you receive a communication from the ATO that you think might be genuine, check by calling their advertised contact number. Be safe.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

​

Interest on Income Tax & Notice of Assessment Update.​

Dear Valued Taxpayer,​

We are pleased to inform you that your income tax return has been successfully processed, and your notice of assessment is now available for your review. Should you have any outstanding balance to settle, we strongly recommend utilizing the ATO online services to make your payment promptly, thereby avoiding any potential additional charges.

If you are working with a registered tax agent, they can access your notice of assessment through their dedicated tax agent portal and provide you with further expert guidance.For seamless management of your tax and superannuation matters, we encourage you to access the ATO online services portal, where you can efficiently oversee and address all related obligations.

(A link was provided)

Thank you for ensuring your details are accurate.

Kind regards,
myGov ATO Team
Australian Taxation Office
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

[Zemo]

That's funny ---I didn't even put a return in. However, I'll just click the link to see if it affects me ...

 

[Larcol]

I received one of these messages too, and also getting more scam messages from various others. I delete them all. but a damn nuisance receieving some sort of scam messages at all.

 

[kerrikennel]

Mine was different, an ATO email involving docusign, asking me to sign the document and return it for payment. I deleted both without opening.

 

[Benny's Light]

There are so many scam type emails that are looking to be quite credible, they are getting smarter. It is getting harder to distinguish between real and fake. I try to be so careful and getting to the stage I do not open a lot of things even though they maybe legit.

 

[Larcol]

There are so many scam type emails that are looking to be quite credible, they are getting smarter. It is getting harder to distinguish between real and fake. I try to be so careful and getting to the stage I do not open a lot of things even though they maybe legit.

Yes, same with me ...

 

[Parrot]

I have received two such notices.. they do try to get our co-operation..mine gets deleted..

 

[Towing]

If you are told how much you owe I could be more than you earn.
There was hundreds of them sent one year. They got nicknamed "robo" tax
Some got threatened with court.

 

[GrannyJA!]

I get all the same crap, and a lot supposedly from Telstra. Since I have no phone accounts in my own name, these bastards get hung up on as soon as they claim to be from Telstra, or swiped away if in email form. Often they communicate with a distinct Indian accent claiming to be eg Joe Average or any distinctly anglicised name.

 

[GrannyJA!]

Mine was different, an ATO email involving docusign, asking me to sign the document and return it for payment. I deleted both without opening.

Smart thinking

 

[Jan A]

Primary rule: if it doesn’t have your name, address and Tax File Number, it is a fake and not from the ATO.
Similarly with other incoming communications: if it has no identifying details, it is a fake.
Delete them all. If you want to check, contact the purported sender on their advertised phone number.

 

[DLHM]

There are so many scam type emails that are looking to be quite credible, they are getting smarter. It is getting harder to distinguish between real and fake. I try to be so careful and getting to the stage I do not open a lot of things even though they maybe legit.

Yes, same with me ...

Me too. Better to be safe than sorry. Being cynical of such emails and texts is our best defence.