Scammers are clever. They use emails, phone calls or text messages pretending to be Inland Revenue. They also create fake websites and social media accounts in an effort to get payments or personal details from you.
Don't get caught - protect yourself from scammers
Scammers use many ways to get you to do things that put your information and myIR account at risk. They may:
- ask for your password to verify who you are
- pressure you to act immediately
- use incentives like fake refunds
- create fake websites asking for your information
- threaten you with immediate arrest if you don't respond.
It starts with you - don't bite the bait!
Here are 3 tips to protect yourself.
Set up 2-step verification
2-step verification secures your myIR account by adding an extra layer of security when you log in. Even if someone knows your password, they will not be able to log in if you have set up 2-step verification.
Watch out for warning signs
To help you recognise typical scams, we keep a list of the latest text, email and fake website scams. We also describe the methods scammers use.
Check our tips on what to watch out for.
To make sure a message from us is real, log in to your myIR
If you have myIR, we will always send messages about refunds directly to myIR.
The safest way to communicate with us is in myIR.
Latest scams
Spotted a new scam we may not know about? Help others keep ahead of the scammers.
If you've been scammed
If you have been the victim of a scam and given away personal information, or your IRD number is being misused, or you suspect your identity has been stolen, we can help.
Act now if you've been scammed