How Services Australia protects your personal information after a data breach

We take data security seriously. We have a number of safeguards in place to protect your records.

Sometimes third party data breaches happen. This is when an unauthorised party accesses an organisation’s data. Unauthorised access can lead to your personal information being exposed or stolen.

When data breaches happen, we work closely with affected organisations to identify customers who may be at risk. One of the ways we do this is by data matching Medicare and Centrelink records. Data matching allows us to identify customers at risk of identity theft and place extra security measures on their records.

Following the data match, we actively monitor at risk Centrelink and Medicare records. If we identify any irregular activity, we may contact you or take other action. In some cases, this can include locking access to your online services to prevent fraud.

Authentication and additional security measures

Authentication means the steps we take to make sure only you, and people you have authorised, can access your customer records. We may ask you, or your authorised representative, additional questions before we discuss your circumstances or any identifying information. This applies when you contact us by phone or in person.

Asking these questions ensures we’re speaking with the right person, and not someone who isn’t authorised to enquire or act on your behalf.

Identifying and reporting unauthorised activity

If we identify unauthorised activity in your myGov, Medicare, Centrelink or Child Support accounts, we’ll review it and take appropriate action.

This can include correcting your record and reissuing any missing payments. If you are concerned about the security of your account, you can call our Scams and Identity Theft Helpdesk.

If you suspect fraud on your Centrelink, Medicare or Child Support account, you can report it to us directly.