Does the ATO or myGov ever text me?

The ATO and myGov will never send you an SMS or email with a link to access online services — these have been officially removed from their messages. If a text claiming to be from the ATO, myGov, Centrelink or Services Australia contains a tappable link, it is a scam, full stop.

I clicked the link and entered my details, what now?

Don't share your TFN, date of birth or bank details if you haven't already. If you have, contact your bank immediately to secure your account, then contact the ATO on 1800 008 540 and report the scam to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au.

Fake myGov & ATO Text: Don't Click That Link (2026)

What the ATO and myGov actually say: both organisations have officially removed clickable links from their SMS messages entirely. If a text claiming to be from the ATO, myGov, Centrelink or Services Australia contains a tappable link — it's a scam, no exceptions.

How the fake myGov/ATO text works

Step 1

The plausible pretext

Account suspension, a tax refund "ready to claim", or an overdue Centrelink payment — all pretexts timed to match something people genuinely expect to hear about.

Step 2

The urgency

"Your account will be suspended within 24 hours" or a refund that "expires" — designed to make you tap before you think.

Step 3

The lookalike site

The link opens a page mimicking my.gov.au or ato.gov.au, asking you to "sign in" — which harvests your username and password.

Step 4

The theft

With your myGov login, scammers can access linked services (Medicare, Centrelink, the ATO) and your personal and financial details directly.

How to spot it

Any link at all: this is the one absolute rule. The ATO and myGov will never send you an SMS or email with a link to access online services — they should be accessed by typing my.gov.au or ato.gov.au directly into your browser.
A request for your TFN, date of birth or bank details by SMS reply: never legitimate.
Urgency around suspension, a fine, or an expiring refund: a standard pressure tactic layered onto the impersonation.

What to do if you get this text

Don't click, don't reply with any information.
Report it to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au, run by the ACCC.
If it claims to be the ATO, you can also call the ATO directly on 1800 008 540 to verify or report.
Check the real way: log into my.gov.au or ato.gov.au directly, typed manually, never via a link someone sent you.

Egidio: your automatic phishing detector

These texts work because they land exactly when a real notification is plausible. Egidio catches the fake link before it can do anything.

Egidio screens incoming calls and scans links arriving through your messaging apps in real time. When it recognises a fake government or myGov site, it blocks the page before it loads.

Install Egidio