Do NOT open this email: ATO issues urgent scam alert

Do NOT open this email: ATO issues an urgent alert about a scam where fraudsters steal your identity

  • Scammers are targeting Australians with fake MyGov emails and text messages 
  • ATO issued a warning saying the messages asks users to enter personal details 
  • The emails and texts include a link which takes users to a fake MyGov login page  

Australians are being warned of an email scam claiming to be sent from the Government that steals recipients personal information. 

The Australian Taxation Office issued the alert this week after receiving reports about the new email scam which asks people to update their MyGov details. 

‘Scammers pretending to be from the ‘myGov customer care team’ are sending emails telling people they need to verify their identity by clicking on a link,’ the ATO said. 

The ATO released an example of what the message and fake MyGov login page looks like (pictured) 

The ATO added after clicking on the link, users were shows a fake myGov page and asked to enter information such as their driver’s licence and passport number. 

‘Dear myGov user. This is a notification email only. Please do not reply to this email as this mailbox is not monitored,’ the phishing email begins. 

‘This is a message from the myGov Team. Australian Government and myGov must verify your identity.

‘Follow the safe link below and update your information.’

The email claims to be from ‘myGov Customer care’.

The ATO said MyGov will sometimes SMS or email users but only to notify them of messages in their MyGov inbox – with users then having to manually sign in to check them via the website or app.

Official messages will never include a link in them to directly log on to your account, the ATO said. 

‘If you receive an SMS or email that looks like it’s from MyGov, but it contains a link or appears suspicious, you can report it to ScamWatch,’ the ATO said. 

MyGov customers will never receive an official email containing a link to directly login to their account, the ATO said (stock image)

MyGov customers will never receive an official email containing a link to directly login to their account, the ATO said (stock image) 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk