Scammers run on a calendar, and July is one of their busiest months. With tax returns underway, fake ATO and myGov messages flood inboxes and phones, and older Australians are squarely in the crosshairs. People aged 65 and over account for 26.5 per cent of all losses reported to Scamwatch despite being around 17 per cent of the population, losing $88.8 million last year alone. Here are the scams doing the rounds right now, and the habits that beat every one of them.
The Tax-Time Impersonators
Scamwatch and the ATO are currently warning about a surge in communications impersonating the ATO and myGov: texts, emails and calls claiming there’s a refund waiting, a debt owing, or a message to view, all designed to rush you into clicking a link to a fake sign-in page. Once your myGov details are entered, criminals can access linked services and commit fraud in your name.
The defence is structural, not technical: never reach myGov through a link in a message. Type my.gov.au into your browser or use the official app, every time. The ATO can be verified directly on 1800 008 540, and real government emails come from addresses ending in .gov.au.
The Call That Wants Your Screen
Remote access scams remain among the most damaging for older Australians, with tens of millions lost nationally each year. A caller claims to be from your bank, Telstra, NBN or Microsoft, says there’s a problem with your account or computer, and helpfully asks you to download screen-sharing software so they can “fix” it.
“Australians over 65 years old are losing the most money in these scams,” Scamwatch warns.
The rule is absolute: no legitimate company cold-calls and asks to access your computer, ever. Hang up. If you’re worried the problem might be real, call the organisation back on the number from its official website or your bill.
The Voice That Sounds Like Family
The newest and cruellest evolution is the AI voice clone. Using just a short sample of someone’s voice from social media or voicemail, scammers can now generate convincing calls from a “grandchild” or “child” in trouble, distressed, urgent, begging for money and secrecy. It sits alongside the well-worn “Hi Mum” text from a new number.
The counter is beautifully old-fashioned: agree on a family safe word or question that only your real family would know, and use it whenever an urgent money request arrives. And always call the person back on their known number before acting, a genuine family member in trouble will not object to thirty seconds of verification.
If Something Slips Through
Speed determines what’s recoverable. Contact your bank immediately, then report to Scamwatch, and if identity documents were involved, IDCARE on 1800 595 160 provides free specialist help. There is no shame in being caught by professionals who do this full-time; the shame belongs entirely to them, and silence only protects the scammer. Official guidance on spotting fake myGov contact is on the myGov scams page.
The Conversation Worth Having This Week
If you have an older parent or neighbour, the single most protective thing you can do costs nothing: sit down together and talk through these four patterns before the call comes. Set up the safe word. Agree that no bank detail ever changes and no money ever moves on the strength of one phone call or message. Scammers rely on urgency, fear and secrecy, and a ten-minute conversation dismantles all three.
Epik Wire covers safety, money and technology for older Australians and their families in plain language. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed.
