Is it really Australian Taxation Office?
Official Australian Taxation Office domains, how well they block forged email, lookalike domains we found, and the scams currently using the Australian Taxation Office name. Last checked 14 October 2026.
Official Australian Taxation Office domains
ato.gov.auReal Australian Taxation Office emails and websites use these domains or a subdomain of them. Anything else, including addresses that contain the Australian Taxation Office name, is not Australian Taxation Office.
Paste the sender's email address, the link, or the website from the message.
Measured from public DNS
Can someone fake a Australian Taxation Office email?
ato.gov.auStrong spoof protectionStrong. ato.gov.au tells receiving mail servers to reject email that fakes an @ato.gov.au address. Scammers usually switch to lookalike domains instead, so check the domain carefully.
- DMARC policy
- p=reject
- SPF
- -all
- Verified logo in inbox (BIMI)
- No
- Encrypted delivery (MTA-STS)
- No
- Email handled by
- Self-hosted
Strict. Only the servers ato.gov.au lists may send its email, everything else fails.
DMARC is the rule a domain owner publishes telling mail servers what to do with email that pretends to come from them. The stronger it is, the more likely scammers switch to lookalike domains, which is why the next section matters.
Lookalike domain watch
Domains that imitate Australian Taxation Office
143
Names checked
18
Registered
14
Owner unknown, active
6
Can receive email
We check misspellings, look-alike characters, and the Australian Taxation Office name combined with words like “refund”, “rebate”, “tax” across common domain endings. A registered lookalike is not proof of a scam: companies often register typos of their own name to protect customers. But you should never trust a message from one.
Active, owner unknown
| Domain | Website | Registered | First spotted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ato.com | Yes | Can receive | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| ato.net | Yes | No | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| ato.org | Yes | Can receive | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| ato.online | Yes | Can receive | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| ato.app | Yes | No | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| ato.support | Yes | No | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| ato-tax.com | Yes | Can receive | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| atotax.com | Yes | No | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| atogov.com | Yes | No | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| ato-online.com | Yes | No | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| atoonline.com | Yes | No | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| ato-service.com | Yes | No | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| atorefund.net | Yes | Can receive | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
| verify-ato.com | Yes | Can receive | Unknown | 14 October 2026 |
Listed as plain text on purpose. Do not visit these domains.
Parked or for sale (3)
ato.coato.xyzato-gov.xyzRegistered but not hosting a site or email (1)
ato.topKnow the pattern
Scams using the Australian Taxation Office name
Government impersonation uses fear: refunds you are owed, penalties you must pay today, or legal action.
A tax refund is waiting
A message says you are owed a refund and asks for bank or card details so it can be paid.
Pay now or face legal action
You are told you owe money or face arrest unless you pay immediately, often by gift card, wire transfer or crypto.
Unpaid toll, fine or vehicle tax
A text says you owe a small toll, fine or tax and must pay through a link today.
From people who received them
Reported Australian Taxation Office scam messages
No reports published for Australian Taxation Office yet. If you received one, sharing it helps the next person recognise it.
Step by step
How to check a message that claims to be from Australian Taxation Office
- 1
Look at the actual sender address, not just the name. Tap or hover over the name to reveal it. It must end in @ato.gov.au, or a subdomain of one.
- 2
Do not use links or phone numbers from the message. Type ato.gov.au into your browser or open the official Australian Taxation Office app, and check your account there.
- 3
Slow down when you see urgency, small fees, gift cards, crypto, or requests for codes and passwords. Those are the levers every scam pulls.
- 4
Still unsure? Paste the sender address or link into the checker above.
Questions
Australian Taxation Office scam FAQ
What email address does Australian Taxation Office use?
Genuine Australian Taxation Office email comes from addresses ending in @ato.gov.au, or a subdomain of those (for example something@mail.ato.gov.au). An address on any other domain, even one containing "australian taxation office", is not Australian Taxation Office.
Can scammers fake an @ato.gov.au email address?
Strong. ato.gov.au tells receiving mail servers to reject email that fakes an @ato.gov.au address. Scammers usually switch to lookalike domains instead, so check the domain carefully.
Are there websites pretending to be Australian Taxation Office?
On 14 October 2026 we checked 143 lookalike domain names and found 18 registered. 0 appear to be owned by Australian Taxation Office or a brand-protection service, 3 are parked or for sale, and 14 could not be linked to Australian Taxation Office while hosting a website or accepting email. A registered lookalike is not proof of a scam, but any message from one deserves suspicion.
What should I do if I clicked a link in a fake Australian Taxation Office message?
Do not enter anything else. If you typed a password, change it at ato.gov.au straight away and turn on two-step sign-in. If you entered card or bank details, call your bank using the number on your card. Then report the message using the guide below.
Help stop it
Where to report a fake Australian Taxation Office message
United Kingdom
- Forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk
- Forward scam texts to 7726
United States
- Report to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov
- Forward phishing emails to reportphishing@apwg.org
- Forward scam texts to 7726 (SPAM)
Canada
- Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca
- Forward scam texts to 7726
Australia
- Report to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au
- Report cybercrime through ReportCyber at cyber.gov.au
India
- Report at cybercrime.gov.in or call the 1930 helpline
Germany
- Forward phishing emails to the Phishing-Radar at phishing@verbraucherzentrale.nrw
Switzerland
- Report phishing websites at antiphishing.ch
Anywhere
- Report phishing websites to Google Safe Browsing at safebrowsing.google.com
- Tell the company through its official website or app
Government & Tax
Check other companies
Orbiplot is not affiliated with Australian Taxation Office. This page is generated automatically from public data: DNS records, domain registration data (RDAP) and the Internet Archive. Lookalike domains are listed because they resemble Australian Taxation Office's name, not because we have confirmed any wrongdoing. If you own a domain listed here and believe it is misclassified, contact us through the site and we will review it.