Western Australians are being urged to protect their myGovID and personal information as the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) works with citizens who have been victims of identity crime.
Issuing the warning, the ATO said that in addition to the security features on people’s devices, (such as fingerprint, face or password) myGovID used individuals’ personal information as well as encryption and cryptographic technology to help stop other people impersonating them.
“We know that giving you access to online services is critical,” the ATO said.
“To keep the system safe though, you must protect your myGovID and your personal information,” it said.
“Unfortunately, you are not immune to identity crime.”
The ATO said it had been working recently with a small number of agents where they or their clients, or both, had been the victims of identity crime.
It said that in those instances there had been a significant and disruptive impact on the agent and their clients.
“To help ensure you are not the next victim, and to protect your identity from being used fraudulently, follow our top 10 tips,” the ATO said.
Its tips included: Use a personal email address when setting up myGovID; Protect an email address with strong passwords and multifactor authentication; Enable built-in security features on smart devices, such as fingerprint and face ID; and Turn on notifications for myGovID.
The ATO also advises to: Check myGovID setups regularly; Protect identity documents and never store them in email folders; Verify additional identity documents to increase the security of myGovID; Not to share myGovID; Report suspected inappropriate access; and Stay on top of cyber hygiene.
“Run software updates straight away, keep antivirus software up to date, and always be careful when clicking on links and providing personal identifying information,” the Tax Office said.
