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If you’ve been scammed
We know there are many scams pretending to be from us. Scam emails, websites, text messages, social media messages, phone calls, and letters can be very convincing.
Contacting our helpdesk
Call the Scams and Identity Theft Helpdesk if you clicked on a scam link or gave any personal information to a scammer regarding Centrelink, Medicare, Child Support or myGov. Our staff can offer support and advice about how to protect yourself and your personal information.
Your personal information may include:
- identity documents
- Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN)
- name and date of birth
- Medicare card number
- myGov sign in details
- bank account details.
Also call us if you’ve:
- paid money to or had money stolen by a suspected scammer
- bought gift cards or vouchers for a suspected scammer
- downloaded fake apps or visited websites pretending to be official apps and sites.
The helpdesk is open Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm AEST.
We can also put an interpreter on the line if you need help.
Reporting a scam
If you only wish to report a Centrelink, Medicare, Child Support or myGov related scam and you did not click on a link or give any personal information to the scammer, please email us.
Email scams
If you get an email scam, forward us the entire email but do not change or add any extra information. Delete the scam email when you’re done.
SMS scams
If you get an SMS scam, email us a screenshot or image of the SMS.
Social media scams
If you get a social media scam, email us a screenshot of any social media post or direct messages related to the scam.
If you spot a scam that is not related to Services Australia or myGov, you can report it to Scamwatch.
If a scammer steals your identity
Identity theft is when someone gets access to your identity to steal money or gain other benefits. For example, someone may gain access to your private information through unlocked mailboxes or discarded personal documents. These documents may include:
- Medicare cards
- utility bills
- insurance renewals
- health care records.
If you think your identity information is at risk, call the Scams and Identity Theft Helpdesk.
If you need more help
There are organisations that provide support services and useful information. The following links will take you away from our website.
IDCARE is a free national identity support service. Contact them if you think your personal or identity information has been misused.
ScamWatch has information about all types of scams. You can report scams online.
Stay Smart Online has information about online scams and how you can protect yourself when online.
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is available on 1800 008 540, or go to their scams page for ATO scam enquiries.