Consumer watchdog issues warning about tax scam

Aussies are being warned to be on their toes as tax time nears as authorities investigate a series of scams pretending to be from the ATO.

Australians are being warned about being bitten by scammers impersonating the ATO as tax time nears.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission issued the warning about messages claiming that the person’s tax return had been processed.

The consumer watchdog warns that a link forwards the user to a scam website and asks for personal information.

Australians are being warned about a scam as tax time nears. Picture: ACCC/Supplied

“Watch out for messages appearing to be from myGov claiming your tax return has been processed,” the ACCC’s Scamwatch said in a tweet.

“These are scam messages. Ignore, delete, and block.”

Last year the consumer watchdog said they had received a high number of reports of SMS scams pretending to be from the ATO.

The ACCC says scammers attempt to obtain user’s personal and bank information. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Emma Brasier.

“These scams tell you that you’re owed an income tax repayment and ask you to click a hyperlink and complete a form,” the ACCC said in July last year.

“Clicking the link takes you to a fake ATO webpage that asks for your personal identifying information, including your credit card details.

“If you receive an SMS like this, don’t click on any links.”

Earlier this year, the ACCC warned they were seeing an increase in social media accounts pretending to be the ATO in an attempt to steal personal information and bank account numbers.