25 Jun 2025

Be prepared for the end of financial year rush with Cyber Wardens cybersecurity guide for small businesses.

Cybercriminals are getting busy this EOFY. Know how to stop them in their tracks.

The end of the financial year (EOFY) and tax time can mean more work, reporting and financial activity in your business. You may be dealing with payroll changes, asset write-offs, superannuation updates and tax returns, along with all your usual tasks.

Cybercriminals know this is an intense period for small businesses. Scammers will try to take advantage of the distractions.

Watch out for these scams this EOFY

Scams are becoming more common. Research by CommBank shows that 1 in 4 Australians have been exposed to an EOFY scam. These scams predominantly involve impersonations of the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), myGov and financial institutions such as banks. They use emails, phone calls and SMS messages to deceive businesses and individuals.

Here are some of the most common scams heading into the end of financial year.

  • AI-powered scams: criminals are now using artificial intelligence (AI) to create more convincing and targeted scams.
  • Banking burglary: online banking fraud gives access to your accounts and your savings.
  • Cloud compromise: criminals hack into your storage to access and control business data.
  • Data breaches: system hacks to access data between you and your accountant or bookkeeper.
  • Email inbox break-ins: criminals gain access to important information and launch damaging attacks from your email inbox.
  • Fake ATO: impersonation emails, SMS and phone scams to steal money.
  • Fake myGov: fake links or calls to steal access to your myGov account.
  • Payment redirection: business email compromise that tricks you out of money or goods usually via fake invoices or emails.
  • Transfer scams: fake links and invoices that trick you when you’re busy.

If you’re ever unsure, double check your invoice, email, text or link. It’s better to be safe and verify it than risk being scammed.

How to stay alert and protected

To help you stay safe this tax time, the Australian Government-funded Cyber Wardens program has created a quick EOFY Cyber Security Guide.

It covers:

  • how to spot ATO and myGov scams
  • AI-powered EOFY threats
  • ways to protect against common scams
  • a checklist to keep your business cyber safe.

Stay prepared and download the EOFY guide.

Build your cyber defences

From Business Victoria to Cyber Wardens and the Australian Cyber Security Centre, there are resources to help small business owners improve their cybersecurity.