Victoria Police is urging the community to be vigilant of scammers targeting myGov sign in details to commit tax fraud and impersonating well known Australian retailers online during end of financial year sales.

The force’s Cybercrime Squad see scammers attempt to fraudulently access linked government services every year during the rush to complete tax returns, before either generating fraudulent payments in the victim’s name, or redirecting tax refunds to be paid into their own accounts.

With consumers also scrolling online for end of year financial sales coinciding at the same time, scammers use fraudulent websites to impersonate genuine online retail stores belonging to many popular brands.

In the last year, police received 978 reports relating to tax fraud, with a total reported loss of $278 thousand dollars.

These reports were then forwarded to the relevant government agency, such as the ATO, for further action.

During the same period, the Cybercrime Squad issued 20 myGov related phishing domain takedown requests.

There were also 303 reports relating to fake online stores, resulting in a loss of $729 thousand dollars.

The Cybercrime Squad works tirelessly to get scam websites removed – and in response to these reports issued takedown requests for 139 fake online store related websites.

It’s prompted a police warning for Victorians to be on alert for these scammers during this period and make a report if they fall victim.

Cybercrime Squad Detective Acting Inspector Carl Keenan they're encouraging everyone to be hypervigilant when it comes to scams such as these.

“Never click on a link sent to you that is purporting to be from the Australian Taxation Office or myGov – they will never ask you to access any online services via a link," he said.

“Make sure you access your accounts through legitimate apps or via independent searches.

“Scammers are also creating websites which look almost identical to genuine brand websites, and they’re paying for their sites to appear at the top of an internet search.

“Always check that the website is secure. If you’re unsure, always type the full website URL into the address bar yourself.

“You should also be wary of sponsored ads either within a browser or on social media – if you find anything that doesn’t look right, don’t click on it, and always report it to the platform.

"If something looks too good to be true, it probably is.

“We encourage anyone who has been subject to scams such as these to speak to police.”

You can report any suspicious contact claiming to be from Services Australia or myGov to reportascam@servicesaustralia.gov.au.

There’s more information about myGov scams and what to do if you have been affected by one my.gov.au/scams

Scams that are not impersonating the ATO, myGov or a Services Australia brand can be reported to scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam.

They also have further advice on spotting fake websites.

If you think you have been the victim of an online scam, contact your bank or card provider immediately to report the scam, they may be able to stop a transaction from going through.

If you have any information about a scam and wish to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential online report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au(opens in a new window)