The ATO is warning taxpayers to be on high alert to scammers, with over $800,000 reportedly lost during November.

Top tips to protect yourself from scammers:-

1. Know your tax affairs – you can log into myGov to check your tax affairs at any time, or you can contact your tax agent or the ATO.

2. Guard your personal and financial information – be careful when clicking on links, downloading files or opening attachments. Only give your personal information to people you trust, and try not to share it on social media.

3. If you are unsure about whether a call, text message or email is genuine, don’t reply. Call the ATO on 1800 008 540.

4. Know legitimate ways to make payments - scammers may use threatening tactics to trick their victims into paying false debts in pre-paid gift cards or by sending money to non-ATO bank accounts. To check that a payment method is legitimate, visit ato.gov.au/howtopay.

5. Talk to your family and friends about scams - if you or someone you know has fallen victim to a tax related scam, call the ATO as soon as you can.

The ATO’s dedicated scam reporting line is 1800 008 540.

To see the latest alerts and for more information visit ato.gov.au/scams.