The Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) is currently warning about fake SMS messages that are sent to citizens in the name of the Austrian tax office. The fraudulent SMS messages receive the information that the recipients have outstanding claims to settle and should therefore transfer an amount of EUR 349 in order to avoid the threat of seizure proceedings. The BMF continually warns against such and similar fraud attempts, which occur via various communication channels such as email, SMS and telephone calls.
Example of such a fake SMS message from the Austrian tax office

The SMS as text:
Note: The number, date and link can always be different here.
[FINANZAMT] Your outstanding claim number 23894891 has not been paid despite several reminders. On February 18, 2023, the bailiff will seize your household goods as a precautionary measure. You can avoid the garnishment process by paying the full amount immediately using your payment link. LINK
Attention: The hyperlink contained leads to a fake website that asks you to transfer the amount.
The BMF emphasizes that this is an attempted internet fraud and that the SMS messages sent and linked websites are fakes.
Information from the BMF generally takes the form of notifications and is delivered by post or to the FinanzOnline Databox. The BMF never asks citizens to submit personal data such as passwords, credit card details or account information.
Therefore, if you receive such phishing emails, SMS messages or emails with similar content, it is most likely an internet fraud attempt.
• Under no circumstances follow the instructions contained therein!
• Do not click on any links or files contained therein!
• Do not under any circumstances disclose personal information such as passwords, credit card details or account information!
• The BMF recommends deleting such emails immediately!
Further information about the fraudsters' scams, the characteristics of fraud attempts and necessary security measures can be found in our folder “Beware of fraud! Don’t give internet fraudsters a chance.” The folder is available for download on the BMF website (PDF, 3 MB) and is available for collection in all tax offices.
Also read:
Warning about: seizure of household goods
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Notes:
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