Beware of tax refund email scam

Media release 2009/01

The Tax Office is warning people about a fraudulent email being circulated that claims to offer a refund from the Tax Office.

It is similar to previous scams and uses the Tax Office logo and the words ‘Notification - Please read’ or ‘Australian Taxation Office - Please Read This’ in the subject heading.

There may also be more variations to these subject headings.

The email asks people to click on a link which directs them to a bogus website that looks similar to the Tax Office website and asks for credit card and personal details.

The Tax Office never sends emails asking people to provide personal information including credit card details.

Tax Commissioner Michael D’Ascenzo said anyone who receives the email should delete it immediately.

“People should be wary of unsolicited emails claiming to be from the Tax Office.

“As an extra precaution we recommend you type internet addresses directly into your internet browser rather than clicking on links embedded in emails,” Mr D’Ascenzo said.

These websites are often set up in multiple jurisdictions making them difficult to trace and to effectively shut them down.

If people have entered their credit card information on the website, they should immediately report it to their credit card provider.

Last Modified: Tuesday, 6 January 2009

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