ATO scam or real? Letters, emails and texts compared
Short answer
The ATO does contact people by letter, myGov message, SMS, email and phone, so contact itself proves nothing. What separates real from fake is the ask. The ATO never sends unsolicited links, never threatens arrest, never asks for gift cards or crypto, and never asks for your TFN by reply. Check anything else by logging in to myGov yourself.
Channel by channel: real vs scam
| Channel | Genuine ATO | Scam |
|---|---|---|
| Letter | Arrives in your myGov inbox or by post to your registered address; quotes your reference; names a stage (reminder, warning, notice) with a date | Generic wording, wrong name, asks you to call an unfamiliar number or scan a QR code |
| From an address ending in ato.gov.au; no login or payment link; says to go to myGov or phone a published number | Look-alike address; link or attachment; refund bait; asks for details by reply | |
| SMS | No hyperlink; short reminder about lodgement or payment; tells you to log in yourself | Contains a link; urgent; threatens TFN cancellation or arrest |
| Phone | Shows No Caller ID; officer identifies themselves; asks identity questions; happy for you to call back | Recorded message; threatens arrest; demands you stay on the line; wants gift cards or a transfer |
Notice that a hidden phone number is in the genuine column. The ATO says its calls show no number on caller ID, so that alone tells you nothing. Details on private number calls.
The seven things the ATO says it never does
Straight from the ATO's own scam guidance. The ATO will never:
- Send an unsolicited SMS or email containing a hyperlink or QR code.
- Ask for personal identifying information, such as your TFN, by email or SMS.
- Threaten you with arrest, or demand that you stay on the line.
- Make unsolicited robocalls.
- Ask for payment by gift card, cryptocurrency, cash delivery, or into a personal or offshore bank account.
- Threaten to cancel your tax file number.
- Ask you to pay to release a refund.
Any one of these on its own is enough. You do not need to weigh up the rest of the message. Genuine escalation happens in writing and in stages, which is why our ATO letters guide is the best reference for what real pressure from the ATO looks like: reminders, warning letters, a notice of intent to disclose, a garnishee notice, a director penalty notice, a statutory demand. None of them starts with a phone threat.
Not sure if it is really the ATO?
Free, confidential help checking the contact and the debt behind it.
The one-minute check that works for every channel
- Do not click, reply, call back on the number given, or pay.
- Type my.gov.au into your browser, log in, and look at your ATO account and inbox. Real debts, real letters and real payment plans are all there. If it is not there, it is not real.
- For a phone call, use the verify call feature in the ATO app, which confirms a genuine call within 30 seconds.
- If you are still unsure, phone 1800 008 540 (8:00 am to 6:00 pm, Monday to Friday) and ask. They can confirm whether the contact came from the ATO.
If the contact turns out to be real, the job changes from spotting a scam to dealing with a debt. Most people can set up a payment plan online for debts up to $200,000, and knowing which number to call and what to say takes most of the stress out of it. Contact from recoveriescorp can also be genuine; see how ATO debt collectors work.
What to do next
- Do not act on the message itself; log in to myGov by typing the address and check your account.
- For calls, use the ATO app verify call feature; for anything else, phone 1800 008 540 if unsure.
- If the debt is real, look at a payment plan and read the letter guide to see what stage you are at.
Related questions
Do ATO scam letters exist, or is it only calls and messages?
Fake letters are less common than calls, texts and emails but they do appear, usually copying ATO branding and pointing to a phone number or QR code. A real ATO letter matches something in your myGov inbox or ATO online services. If a paper letter has no online counterpart and asks you to call a number not listed on ato.gov.au, treat it as suspect.
I already paid a scammer. Can the ATO help?
Phone 1800 008 540 as soon as you can. The ATO can flag your account, help you protect your TFN and myGov login, and point you to the right reporting channels. Contact your bank immediately as well, because recovery of a transfer depends on speed. Any genuine ATO debt you have is unaffected by what you paid the scammer.
Not sure if it is really the ATO?
Free, confidential help checking the contact and the debt behind it.
Get help nowMore questions: 11 Calls, texts, letters and scams questions answered · Full guide: ATO letters & notices