Source: GIZMODO Australia
There’s a new email scam doing the rounds on the Australian internet. It’s impersonating MyGov and this is what you need to know.
Scams aren’t anything new but they have certainly been increasingly exponentially over the past couple of years. Including during the 2019 – 2020 bush fires.
Text and email scams have been particularly prevalent during COVID-19. And they have even hit newer platforms such as encrypted messaging service, Signal.
MyGov scam: what you need to know
The latest scam comes in the form of a MyGov impersonation email. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and Services Australia made a joint announcement about it on Friday. They warn that this is a phishing scam designed to collect personal identifying information as well as bank details. The fake emails use screenshots from the myGovID app. This service allows customers to access of online government services (such as the ATO and myGov) without a password. Fortunately, there are ways to tell that this is a scam. It asks users to click a link to confirm their details, and the email also contains spelling errors.
“The ATO and myGov does send emails and SMS messages, however will never send you an email or SMS with a hyperlink directing you to a login page for our online services,” ATO Assistant Commissioner, Ben Foster, said in an email. “In the lead up to tax time, we expect to see more of these malicious attempts to harvest identity details. So we encourage everyone to be on alert and take the time to remind family and friends to be on the lookout and stay safe online.” As always, you should never click on any suspicious you links you receive in an email or text message, even if it seems to be from a a legitimate source. You should also never provide personal or banking details in response to these emails or texts.
What to do if you’ve been targeted
If you have been the victim of a scam, head over to Scamwatch for advice and resources. You can also report scams there as well. Always remember to never click on links in suspicious text messages or emails from people you don’t know.
If you have been a victim of this particular myGov sca you should change your myGov password immediately and contact your bank if you provided any bank details.
You can also call the Services Australia’s Scams and Identity Theft Helpdesk on 1800 941 126.
