Many of us use the website MyGov for a bunch of different things, including lodging tax, checking on super and reporting to Centrelink.

Recently, scammers have been impersonating MyGov and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and sending emails and text messages to people to try and con people into handing over personal details. Scammers then use these details to commit crimes.

Given MyGov sends legitimate emails too, it’s worth keeping an eye on this scam and making sure to avoid it.

What is the scam?

The scam generally involves an email or text message, often with the line “You have a new message in your myGov inbox – click here to view”, Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones said.

However, it may say something else related to MyGov or the ATO. The Government said it was made aware of more than 6000 scams involving MyGov.

Once people click on the link, fraudsters can use the victim’s sign in details to try and commit tax or refund fraud.

How to protect yourself

In light of this recent scam, people have been advised to use the MyGov app. You can download the app through the App Store on your phone.

Another way to protect yourself is by not clicking on links from MyGov. The Government said MyGov never asks users to click on links.

A third strategy involves reviewing the email address (which should be noreply@my.gov.au) or phone number, although scammers have been known to cleverly imitate phone numbers and emails.

For more information about the latest scams, visit scamwatch.gov.au.