Watch out for fake emails from the Portuguese tax office: how to spot and avoid scams

The “tax office email” scam: what you need to know

Hi everyone! I’m Flávia Victtor dos Anjos, and today I’ve come to warn you about a scam that’s fooling a lot of people: fake emails claiming to be from the Portuguese tax authority (Finanças). If you’ve received a message saying you have an “open tax case” or that you owe something to the IRS, stay sharp! Many of these messages are traps to steal your money.

How do you spot the scam?

According to the Portal das Finanças and Público, the criminals use tactics such as:

• Fake email addresses: the senders use domains like @AT-GOV-PT or similar, which are not official. The genuine tax office email ends in @portaldasfinancas.gov.pt.
• Suspicious payment references: the links or codes provided point to foreign banks (such as the Irish bank mentioned in the text).
• Threats or urgency: the text pressures you into paying immediately, something that is not how the tax office operates.

What should you do if you receive one of these emails?

1. Don’t click on any links and don’t make any payments.
2. Check your tax situation directly on the Portal das Finanças, using your NIF (taxpayer number) and password. There you can issue a Certificate of No Debt to confirm whether anything is outstanding.
3. Report it: forward the suspicious email to atendimento@portaldasfinancas.gov.pt.

Important tip

The tax office never requests payments by email without prior notice in your official profile. If you do have any debts, they’ll show up on the Portal or be communicated by registered letter.

Stay sharp and spread the word!