What the scam text message looks like
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.
What the scam does
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.
How to tell if it’s a scam
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.
We won’t include links in text messages.
What to do if you got this scam text message
If you get a suspicious text message, there are steps you can take to protect yourself and report the scam.
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.
Next steps
Find out more about scams and identity theft, including how to protect yourself against scams and what to do if a scam has affected you.