What the scam text message looks like
The scam text message says that you are eligible for a one-time cost of living payment. It also includes a link.
What the scam does
It falsely claims that myGov are paying people a one-time payment to help with the cost of living.
If you click on the link, it may take you to a fake ‘myGov’ website.
This payment is not real.
How to tell if it’s a scam
We do not include links in text messages.
Although we do send text messages to people, we only do this for things like:
- reminding you to go to appointments
- letting you know we’ve paid you
- confirming changes to your details
- letting you know you’ve got a new myGov Inbox message.
What to do if you got this scam text message
You should call the Scams and Identity Theft Helpdesk straight away, if you have:
- opened a link in a suspicious text
- given someone you don’t know your myGov or other personal details
- replied to a suspicious text.
If you get a suspicious text message, there are steps you can take to protect yourself and report the scam.