Active scams

If you get a text message from myGov with a link to click on, it‘s a scam.

It may look similar to these examples:

These scams may tell you that:

• your account information is inaccurate and you need to update your details by clicking a link
• you can’t get a subsidy because your information is incomplete and you need to update your details by clicking a link
• a refund is waiting for your action and you need to click a link to get the payment
• you should click the link to avoid your myGov account being suspended or frozen
• you’ve made a change to your myGov account and you should click a link if the myGov activity was not made by you
• you’re eligible for a one-time cost of living payment, or another type of payment or rebate and you need to click a link to claim
• you should scan a QR code to sign in.

These are all scams. Never click on links, web forms or scan QR codes within an email or text message. myGov will only send you a text message to let you know you’ve got a new myGov Inbox message.

We’re seeing an increase in myGov scams and encourage you to be wary of unexpected contact. Only sign in to your myGov account by searching my.gov.au in your trusted web browser or by using the official myGov app.

Other scams may also ask for your myGov details or take you to a fake myGov site. Read more about other Services Australia scams.

Scammers will ask you to update your personal information such as your Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) details via a link, QR code or attachment in an email. They’ll say you can get a payment or refund if you do this.

They may also say a subsidy has been issued but can’t be claimed due to incomplete information. They’ll ask you to update your details by clicking a link. The link will take you to a fake myGov website designed to steal your personal information.

To appear genuine, the emails often include screen shots of the myGov website, app or the myGovID app.

The link takes you to a fake myGov website designed to steal your information. This is also called a phishing link. Phishing is a way for scammers to steal your personal information. Don’t click on the link. This is a scam.

Scammers may also tell you there’s a problem with your tax return. They threaten legal action if you don’t enter your details into a website. They often begin the email by saying ‘Dear myGov Customer’ and include an attachment asking you to confirm your details.

It tells you ‘myGov’ noticed a discrepancy in your previous tax return. Don’t open the attachment, it’s a scam.

Scammers are using automated phone calls, or robocalls, pretending to be from myGov. They claim illegal activity has been committed in your name and you should dial 1 to speak to an operator.

The scammer will try to scare you into handing over money and may threaten you if you refuse. This is a scam. Hang up on any automated myGov phone call.

Scammers are pretending to be from Medicare.

They may contact you by text message or email and say:

• you have an unclaimed payment or rebate
• your Medicare service has been frozen, stopped or suspended
• your Medicare account needs to be updated
• your Medicare card has expired
• your Medicare insurance information is missing.

They’ll ask you to click on a link and update your details. They may also ask you to copy the URL into Google or scan a QR code.

The scam messages may look something like these:

Don’t respond or click on the link. We won’t ask you to:

• click on a link in a text message or email to update your Medicare details
• click on a link in a text message or email to get a payment or rebate
• copy a URL or scan a QR code to log into your Medicare online account
• provide credit card details or pay us to access your Medicare entitlement.

If your Medicare card is about to expire, you don’t need to do anything. We’ll send you a new card about 4 to 8 weeks before it expires.

To update your Medicare card details use your Medicare online account, or Express Plus Medicare mobile app.

If you get a message from the Australian Government offering a free COVID-19 test kit, don’t open the link. This is a scam.

The scam text message says you can order a free COVID-19 test kit because you’ve been in contact with a positive COVID-19 case. It also includes a link where you can order your free kit.

These scam text messages are impersonating the Australian Government, Medicare and myGov.

If you click on the link, it will take you to a fake ‘Australian Government’ website. The website will ask you to ‘book now’ for a free COVID-19 testing kit.

You may then see a fake myGov or Medicare website that asks you to provide your personal information. This may include asking for your banking details. The scammers use this to steal information and money.

If you get a message from the ‘Department of Health’ offering a COVID-19 vaccination benefit payment, don’t open the link. This is a scam.

The scam text message says that you are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination benefit payment. It also includes a link to find out more information.

If you click on the link, it may take you to a fake ‘Services Australia’ website offering a COVID-19 vaccination reward.

It falsely claims that all vaccinated Australians are eligible for a one-time reward payment of $750 as a thank you for the increasing vaccination rate.

This payment is not real.

The website will ask you to provide your personal information and banking details to apply. The scammers will then use these to steal information and money from you.

Scammers are sending emails claiming to be from Medicare or myGov. They ask you to update your Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) details to get a payment from us.

You may have recently got an email that says you have pending payments or a Medicare benefit owed. The email asks you to update your EFT details with Medicare or myGov.

This email is a scam. It may look similar to these examples:

It may ask you to click on a link or access a web form. If you do, you’ll go to a fake myGov site designed to steal your personal information and banking details.

It may tell you that your information is being transferred securely. This is a trick to gain your trust and get you to click on the link.

There are unofficial websites and social media accounts online. They’re sharing false information about bonus Centrelink payments. You might read about a new ‘one off payment’, ‘Centrelink cash relief payment’ or ‘bonus payment’ to:

• help with the cost of living
• help people getting Age Pension
• help people who have a concession card.

They offer varying amounts of money, including $750 and $1,800. These payments don’t exist. You could see advertisements that look like this:

You might know this as clickbait. Clickbait is usually misleading and made to get your attention.

People are sharing these websites on social media, thinking the information is real. If the website URL doesn’t end in .gov.au then it isn’t an official government website. It could be a scam.

The only genuine Services Australia and myGov websites are servicesaustralia.gov.au and my.gov.au.

We’ll always let you know when there are changes to any of our payments or services. We’ll let you know on our official website and official social media channels.

If you’re not sure if Centrelink information you’ve seen online is real, search our genuine website. Type servicesaustralia.gov.au into your trusted web browser. You can also check by calling us or asking us on social media.

You might get a call claiming to be from Services Australia. These scam calls tell you to urgently pay a debt. They say that if you don’t pay it straight away you’ll be arrested.

Often, the callers claim to be from our legal team. They’ll claim:

• if you don’t pay it straight away, you’ll be arrested
• you can pay through a bank transfer, gift cards or cryptocurrency.

This call is a scam. There’s a few signs to look out for if you get a call like this:

• we’ll never ask you to transfer money on the phone
• we won’t make unexpected phone calls threatening to arrest you
• we also won’t ask you to pay with gift cards or digital currency
• if you do owe money, we’ll write to you via post or your myGov inbox to let you know.

If you get this call, hang up and remember:

• don’t return the call
• don’t transfer money to the caller
• don’t give the caller your personal details.

There are steps you can take to protect yourself and report a scam. If you’re unsure if a phone call is really from us, you can phone us on your normal payment line to check if it was us.

Scammers are setting up fake social media profiles pretending to be us and other government agencies. They ask you to share your personal information with them. This is a scam.

Scammers will set up accounts to look like Services Australia, myGov, Medicare, Centrelink or even our employees. These accounts will look convincing, but will have little differences in the name or the spelling of the username.

These accounts will often message you saying they can help if you click a link to chat with them., They’re really trying to steal your information.

We will never ask you to engage via direct message or private chat on social media. These aren’t secure ways to share information.

We won’t ask you to share personal details like your customer reference number (CRN), address, phone number or email address via social media.

We have a list of our verified social media accounts on our website. If the account isn’t on that list, then it isn’t us.

If you spot a social media profile pretending to be us, you can email our specialist team. They take action to combat scammers who target our customers.

Remember, it’s important to look out for signs that you may be talking to a scammer. If you identify a scammer, don’t respond.

Scammers are posing as disaster relief agencies to take advantage of people affected by natural disasters. These scammers may offer help, payments, or claim they’re collecting donations for disaster affected communities.

When offering you ‘help’, the scammers will often ask for your personal information. This can include asking for your bank details, passwords or credit card details. They may ask you this directly, or get this information by asking you to register your details online. This is a scam.

To take advantage of you, scammers may:

• ask you to provide your personal information on social media
• contact you via direct message or live chat
• ask you to pay for their help.

Services Australia will never ask you to communicate via direct message or live chat. We’ll never ask you to share personal information with us on social media, and we never ask you to pay for our assistance.

Scammers are pretending to be employers on LinkedIn.

They’ll contact you by text message, email, phone call, or live chat. They ask you to send them your myGov sign in details to finish your application. They may also ask you to click a link to register your details.

They may say they will need your myGov details to do any of the following:

• carry out a background check
• verify your identity
• finish the recruitment process.

They may look like this:

Do not respond to these messages. Employers don’t need your myGov sign in details.