Fake ATO “Tax Declaration”; Emails Want You to Download a File

Australian residents are currently receiving emails that claim to be from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

The emails warn that a review of your 2016 tax return has revealed “several inconsistencies”. They advise you to click a link to download your screening outcome and then visit the nearest ATO bureau to clarify the supposed discrepancies.

The emails have a subject with the words “Tax Declaration” followed by a string of numbers and finish with the signature line “ATO Australia”.

However, the emails are not from the ATO as claimed. The fraudulent messages are designed to trick you into infecting your computer with malware.

If you click the link, you will be taken to a file sharing website and instructed to download a file. However, the file will not be a tax declaration document as claimed. Instead, the file you download will contain a malware payload.

Similar tactics are often used to trick taxpayers into supplying their personal and financial information via fake account update or tax refund forms.

THE ATO will not send you emails or text messages that demand that you download a file or supply personal information via a web form.

If you receive one of these messages, do not follow any instructions that it contains. Just delete it. The ATO website includes information about reporting such scam attempts.