Scams to know
ATO, myGov and government impersonation scams
"This is the Australian Taxation Office. A warrant has been issued for your arrest. Press 1 to speak to an officer." Government impersonation scams are frightening by design - fear stops people checking.
The common scripts
- Tax debt or arrest: you owe tax and will be arrested, deported or fined unless you pay now - often by gift cards, crypto or a bank transfer.
- Suspended tax file number or "your identity has been used in a crime" - press 1, then give your details to "verify".
- Refunds: a myGov, ATO or Medicare refund waiting - just log in through this link.
- Police or "Federal" officers transferring you to a "government safe account".
What the real agencies don't do
- The ATO won't threaten you with immediate arrest, or demand payment by gift card, cryptocurrency, or into a personal bank account.
- The ATO won't send an unsolicited text or email with a link asking you to log in to myGov.
- Services Australia has removed links from its text messages - a myGov text with a link is a scam.
- No genuine agency or bank will ask you to move money to a "safe account".
Check the real way: hang up, then log in to myGov yourself (type my.gov.au), or call the agency on the number from its official website. If it's genuine, they'll have a record.
Caller ID can lie
Scammers can make a call look like it comes from a real government number - that's called spoofing. A familiar number on screen doesn't prove anything.
Report it
Report ATO impersonation to the ATO, and any scam to Scamwatch. Then report the number on BadCall and choose "Impersonation".
See the numbers Australians have reported: impersonation calls · robocalls.