There's an SMS doing the rounds telling people the ATO owes them a refund on their crypto, with a link to claim it. It's a scam, it's a reasonably good one, and tax time is exactly when it works.
What the message looks like
The wording varies, but the shape is constant:
ATO: Our records show an unclaimed crypto asset refund of $1,846.20. Claim before 30/09 or it will be returned to Treasury: [link]
The link leads to a convincing myGov lookalike. Whatever you type there — myGov credentials, bank details, ID documents — goes to the scammer. Some versions then phone you, posing as the ATO "to process the refund", and talk you into moving funds or sharing codes.
The tells
- The ATO doesn't send links in SMS. That's their stated policy, not our guess. Real ATO messages tell you to log in to myGov yourself.
- A deadline measured in days. Urgency is the engine of every one of these.
- "Crypto refund" isn't a thing. The ATO treats crypto as property for capital gains purposes; it doesn't hold crypto refunds on your behalf.
If you got the message
Don't tap the link — delete and report it (forward to the ATO's scam reporting). If you already entered details, change your myGov password now, enable the strongest sign-in option, and call your bank. Then take a breath: entering details on a phishing page is recoverable if you move today.
If money has already left your account or wallet, our Recover page covers the first 24 hours — including why the next call offering to get it back is usually scam number two.
General information only. Orange Brick Road Pty Ltd (ABN 92 655 540 480) does not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence and nothing here is financial product advice.