Urgent Centrelink warning is issued to Aussies – and it’s incredibly easy to fall victim to a sick scam
Vicious scammers are targeting vulnerable Australians by offering fake Centrelink ‘cost of living bonuses’ of $890.
Services Australia has warned that their personal information will be stolen if they fall victim to one of several fake websites.
The websites pop up online and on social media accounts and are shared by unsuspecting residents who think the offer is genuine.
Typically the websites offer a one-off ‘Centrelink cash payment’ or a ‘bonus payment’ to help ‘with the cost of living’ by the end of October.
Services Australia warned the scammers’ real aim was to steal personal information used to access the government services website myGov.
‘They offer different monetary amounts, including $750 and $1,800. These payments do not exist,” Services Australia said.
‘You may know this as clickbait. Clickbait is usually misleading and designed to get your attention.”
Vicious scammers target vulnerable Australians by offering fake $890 Centrelink ‘cost of living bonuses’
Some websites claim that the payment is made for other reasons, including helping retirees, people on low incomes, people with disabilities and job seekers.
To claim the payment, the websites provide people with a tool that allows them to ‘check their eligibility status’ by entering their personal details.
This allows scammers to gain access to their victim’s myGov account and lock them out.
Services Australia warned there were several scams claiming to be Centrelink schemes.
Another involves fraudsters posing as Services Australia employees and calling people demanding they urgently pay a debt.
The scammers tell the victims that they will be arrested and that they will not pay immediately via bank transfer, gift cards or cryptocurrency.
Australians are urged to hang up immediately if contacted by anyone making these claims.
Services Australia warned that scammers are trying to steal personal information to access web portal myGov
A surefire way to spot fake websites is if the URL doesn’t end in ‘.gov.au’.
“The only true Services Australia and myGov websites are servicesaustralia.gov.au and my.gov.au,” a Services Australia spokesperson said.
‘We will always let you know if there are any changes to any of our payments or services.
“We’ll let you know on our official website and official social media channels.”