- Scam Alert
- ATO Impersonation
- Phone Scam
- Consumer Safety
- App Security
The ATO has added a call verification feature to its app, letting Australians confirm in real time whether an inbound call is genuinely from the agency.
ATO Adds Real-Time Call Verification to Its Mobile App
The Australian Taxation Office has introduced a call verification feature inside the official ATO app, allowing taxpayers to confirm in real time whether an inbound call is genuinely from the agency. According to the ATO, when the office phones a registered user, a security message appears within the app confirming the call is legitimate. Recipients can open the app while still on the line and look for the prompt before sharing any personal information.
How the Verification Process Works
The feature is built around device registration. Australians who download the ATO app and complete a one-off registration on their mobile device can use the Verify call function during any incoming ATO call. While the conversation is in progress, the contributor opens the app and checks for the matching security notification. If no notification appears, the ATO advises the recipient to end the call and avoid continuing the conversation.
The agency has framed the tool as part of a wider set of in-app protections, including real-time security alerts and a self-service option to lock an ATO account if a contributor suspects their details have been compromised. The ATO has also confirmed that activating these protections does not restrict the access of registered tax agents acting on a taxpayer's behalf.
Context: Why ATO Impersonation Remains a Persistent Threat
ATO impersonation has been one of the most consistently reported scam categories in Australia. Community reports gathered through Reverseau and complaints submitted to Scamwatch frequently describe callers claiming unpaid tax debts, threats of arrest or deportation, and demands for immediate payment via gift cards, cryptocurrency, or unusual wire transfers. Scamwatch figures published over recent years have repeatedly placed government impersonation among the highest-loss scam categories nationally.
The new verification feature targets a known weakness in scam defence: the difficulty of confirming caller identity once a call has already connected. Number spoofing means even a Caller ID that looks correct cannot be trusted on its own, which is why an out-of-band check inside an authenticated app environment carries weight. By tying verification to a registered device, the ATO is effectively asking taxpayers to trust the app rather than the phone line itself.
What Australians Should Do When the ATO Calls
- Install the official ATO app from the Apple App Store or Google Play and complete device registration before you ever receive a call.
- If you receive a call from someone claiming to be the ATO, open the app and check the Verify call section while still on the line.
- Do not share your TFN, myGov details, bank information, or one-time codes with a caller you cannot independently verify.
- Hang up if no verification message appears, then call the ATO back on a number you have looked up yourself rather than one provided by the caller.
- Treat any caller demanding immediate payment in gift cards, cryptocurrency, or international wire transfer as a scam regardless of what agency they claim to represent.
How to Report Suspicious ATO Calls and Check Numbers
Australians who receive a call they suspect is an ATO impersonation attempt have several reporting channels. Scamwatch, run by the National Anti-Scam Centre, accepts reports at scamwatch.gov.au and uses the data to track scam trends and brief enforcement partners including ACMA. Suspicious SMS messages claiming to be from the ATO can be forwarded to 0429 999 888, the dedicated Scamwatch SMS reporting line. The ATO itself can be reached on 1800 008 540 to verify whether a call or message was genuine.
Before returning a missed call from an unknown Australian number, contributors are encouraged to check community reports on Reverseau. Numbers tied to ATO impersonation, robocalls, or other recurring scam patterns are often flagged repeatedly by recipients, and a quick reverse phone lookup can prevent a return call to a line that other Australians have already identified as suspicious.