“Believe nothing, open nothing,” says Mr Wearne.

“Whatever the format you receive them — SMS, email, whatever, never click on anything.”

“Never click on a URL. Never click on a link. And if you have already, never, ever provide passwords or confirm details.”

“Because contacting you or your business by SMS or email is just not the way legitimate bodies like banks, the ATO, ASIC (the Australian Securities and Investments Commission) or MyGov communicate.”

Basically, if you receive some random communication about your finances, or your identity, assume it’s a scam.

“Not all communications are bad, but the key is to be vigilant. The best place to check if something is safe is to log on independently from your browser and check for official communications or notices from the source’s website — a trusted source,” said Mr Wearne.

Watch out for these top five tax-time scams

ASIC
Watch out for any emails asking you for a renewal leter you need to submit or a fine you must pay and especially don't click on any links.

MyGov
Before you click on any MyGov links, check the URL. It should end with .gov.au NOT .net.

CommBank
As if CommBank wasn't dodgy enough, scammers are also using it as a front to extract your personal information and banking details. Carefully check any links and URLs and don't open any attachments un til you are absolutely sure it is from your bank. And it's not just CommBank customers being targeted – all financial institution communications should be treated with caution.

ATO
If the ATO wants to contact you, chances are, it won;t be by email or SMS. So be dubious about any ATO communications.

Netflix
If you receive an email or text asking you for your credit card details, do not send them! This Netflix scam is especially cunning and sophisticated enough to fool many subscribers into hnading over their credit card details under the guise of renewing a subscription.