Reminder: If you get a MyGov email with a link in it, IT’S A SCAM

Sigh… another day, another MyGov scam, this one trying to swindle people out of their tax refunds.

So this just landed in my inbox.

And straight away, I know it’s a MyGov Tax Scam and on no account am I going to click on that link (or even show you what the link is; I’ve examined it and of course it’s garbage that doesn’t go to MyGov, but I’m not going to take any risks that might impact others).

How do I know it’s a MyGov Tax Scam?

Because (you did read the headline, right?) it’s got a clickable link in it.

Proper ACTUAL MyGov communications, whether they’re via email, SMS or even carrier pigeon will never have a clickable link in them. I’m not even sure how that would work via carrier pigeon, actually, but I digress.

That link would take you to a site that looks like the MyGov site, but it’s not. Enter your details there and they’ll be snaffled up and used for fraudulent purposes, potentially putting you seriously out of pocket or with a lot of messy cleaning up to do, talking to government departments, resetting passwords… it’s a whole headache.

It’s Friday afternoon. Who needs headaches? Not me.

MyGov is a popular target for scammers, whether it’s dodgy QR codes, promises to help with costs of living or threats that your refund can’t be processed. They’re all scams, they’re all horrible, and one way that we can all minimise their impact is by making as many people as possible aware that when they get any kind of MyGov communication with a link in it is it… say it with me…

A SCAM

Of course, I’m just some tech journalist on the Internet, and maybe you don’t trust me. Head to Scamwatch for even more resources on how to spot scams before you fall foul of them.