The Albanese Government has introduced new fraud controls to protect Australians from online identity theft and tax fraud.
The new controls will make it harder for criminals to commit identity fraud and safer for taxpayers when interacting with government online.
Last year, more than 8,000 Australians were targeted by criminals who used their personal data to commit fraud in their name. This is an unprecedented rise in identity‑related fraud.
This type of fraud involves criminals accessing a victim’s ATO account using stolen personal information accessed via the dark web. This information can include bank statements, ATO statements, and tax file numbers.
We’ve now made that much tougher.
The changes will increase security requirements in order to better secure people’s personal information.
From now on, individuals who use their myGovID to log in to the ATO will need to use that myGovID for future logins. Criminals will not be able to access your account without it. Simply having access to stolen information will not be enough.
That locks in safety for Australians, protects the identities of people and businesses, and keeps government revenues out of the hands of criminals.
The government is urging Australians to upgrade using a safe and secure myGovID to ensure criminals cannot access their accounts.
The Albanese Government will also soon introduce Digital ID legislation to parliament. The legislation when passed will create a safer ID system which will be accessible across the public and private sector and with stronger privacy protections.
Quotes attributable to the Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services, Stephen Jones:
“Criminals are always looking for new ways to access the personal information to defraud honest Australians, so it pays to remain alert.”
“I urge everyone to use a secure myGovID when interacting with government online.”
“The extra fraud protections introduced by the ATO will help to keep your personal details secure and interact and access online services safely.”
“The Albanese Government is committed to protecting Australians and businesses from fraud and scams. This announcement is an important step to securing a safer experience online.”
