Centrelink and Medicare warn Australians of new data scam risk

Scams are on the rise in Australia, and it’s not just the 'oldies' who need to be on guard—these days, scammers are targeting everyone, from teens to retirees.

In fact, Services Australia has just issued a fresh warning about sophisticated new scams impersonating Centrelink, Medicare, and myGov.

They want every Australian—no matter their age—to be on high alert.


Let’s face it: scammers are getting smarter. Gone are the days of the obvious 'Nigerian prince' emails.

Now, fraudsters are using slick technology, fake websites, and even social media to trick people into handing over their most sensitive information.


1756089547541.png
Scams were reported to be becoming more common and sophisticated in Australia, with people of all ages affected, not just older Australians. Credit: Depositphotos


And with so many of us relying on digital services for everything from banking to government payments, the risks are higher than ever.

Phishing is still the number one way scammers try to steal your details. This is when you get a text, email, or even a phone call that looks like it’s from a trusted source—like Centrelink, Medicare, or myGov—but it’s actually a fake.

These messages often urge you to 'act now' by clicking a link or providing your login details. Don’t fall for it!


Scammers are also popping up on social media, creating fake profiles and even joining private social media groups to offer 'help' with government services.

They might send you a private message or invite you to a live chat, pretending to be from Services Australia. Remember: real government agencies will never contact you this way.

To help keep your accounts safe, myGov has introduced a new security review feature.

When you log in, you might see pop-up messages with tips on how to make your account more secure—like using a passkey or Digital ID instead of a password.

These options are much harder for scammers to crack.

If you haven’t already, consider setting up a passkey or connecting your Digital ID to your myGov account.


Once you do, you can turn off password sign-in altogether, making it even tougher for criminals to access your information.

If you receive a suspicious message, don’t panic. Close it, don’t click any links, and check the official Services Australia website for scam alerts.

If you think you’ve given out your details to a scammer, contact the Services Australia Scams and Identity Theft Helpdesk on 1800 941 126 (Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm AEST/AEDT).

You can also report scam messages related to myGov, Centrelink, Medicare, or Child Support by emailing [email protected].

Scams can happen to anyone, but by staying informed and following these simple steps, you can make it much harder for scammers to succeed.

For more tips and the latest scam alerts, visit the Services Australia website.
Key Takeaways

  • Scams are becoming more common and sophisticated in Australia, affecting people of all ages, not just older Australians.
  • Services Australia warns against sharing personal information such as myGov sign-in details, and reminds people never to click on links in suspicious messages, emails, or texts.
  • Scammers often impersonate Services Australia on social media and may contact you via fake profiles or messages; Services Australia states they never conduct private inbox chats or live chats in Facebook groups.
  • myGov now has new security features, including passkeys and Digital ID, to help protect against scams—users are encouraged to turn off password sign-in and use these more secure options for better account protection.
Have you or someone you know been targeted by a scam? What steps do you take to keep your information safe? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below—let’s help each other stay one step ahead of the scammers!

Read more: Are your Centrelink payments 'on hold'? Here's why you don't have to worry
 

Seniors Discount Club

Sponsored content

Info
Loading data . . .
Service Aust Scams and help desk only open Mon - Fri 8am - 5 pm. If you get scammed after 5pm Friday, have to wait till Monday 8am to report it. Bit scary.
 
It is not only this type of scam we need to be worried about. Yesterday i received an email from someone saying here is your ticket for an event. It was sent in an email as a pdf and you needed to click on it to see what it was. No I did not as I do not remember wanting to see an event on my computer. When I do with companies I know there is more information about the event and there was nothing on this email .SO yet another scam
 
And watch out for those quick tax return ads, I did one paid my fee, no tax refund. That was 6 weeks ago.
 
It is not only this type of scam we need to be worried about. Yesterday i received an email from someone saying here is your ticket for an event. It was sent in an email as a pdf and you needed to click on it to see what it was. No I did not as I do not remember wanting to see an event on my computer. When I do with companies I know there is more information about the event and there was nothing on this email .SO yet another scam
I’ve been getting them too, something about updating my personal information. I rang services Australia they told me that Centrelink or Medicare or ato would never ask for personal information.
 
If in doubt about any type of contact always confirm by ringing the organization or via their official website. Do not click on any links or give any information over the phone.

I treat every contact I get as a scam, especially via phone, if its not a number I know or have in my contacts I let it ring out. If its legit they will leave a message, if not they wont.
 
Too bad if it is genuine, I delete if I think it is necessary.
 
Watch out for a BILL .. I received an E - M requesting a fair amount of of money
Which I supposedly owed .. I forwarded to the ACCC maybe they will pay it 😂😂
 
I have always wondered what would happen if we played along with scammers and just kept giving them false information on bank accounts and the like. Let them waste their time and energy chasing up false information. It wastes their time and gives us a laugh.
 
I have always wondered what would happen if we played along with scammers and just kept giving them false information on bank accounts and the like. Let them waste their time and energy chasing up false information. It wastes their time and gives us a laugh.
Yes, I have a friend who loves to do that, and he is so straight-faced when doing it, too. :LOL:
 
I am going to have to go Services Australia to make a passkey, the girl at Services Australia tried to help me but my phone wouldn't let me do it. As I dont' have a drivers licence anymore or passport I cannot do Digital ID. More and more companies are asking for passkeys. When I have time I will go down to them and hope they can sort it out for me.
 
I has scammers go into my gov and change my bank details, I have face recognition and password but somehow they took my pension. The worst thing was trying to find someone to talk to on the phone from Centrelink you can’t it’s impossible. Luckily after a couple of hours at their offices they paid me and found the money in the NAB bank. I couldn’t be they could get into my gov I don’t trust anything anymore.
 
The biggest scam of all is and will be the Digital ID control control control and good luck getting Centrelink to help
when you go in the first thing they ask do you have an appointment have you ever tried phoning Centrelink to make an appointment
you wait hours , when you walk into any Centrelink firstly the place is empty maybe a couple waiting to be seen , as far as staff go they just either sitter down slurping coffee or walking around in a trance ,there is no such thing as service.
 
Hello Everyone, l am sick of all this scamming online world. I experienced hackers back in 2023, now in 2025, l no longer have Access to my main Bank on line or their app. I’m glad. The Hackers, destroyed my tax, centrelink.in 2023. In 2025, the Hackers try to get into the App, l laughed l can’t access it. Next thing, they go directly to my Bank’s web site. The Bank was able to stop it. I couldn’t access my pension, All the blocks, none of my periodical payments were paid or the direct debits weren’t paid. I was told l had an inbound fraud.No! It has All been sorted out now, what a hell of a month l went through. My pension doesn’t go to that account anymore. You can no longer Trust anything on line. You can not identify the truthful reality. Thank you for reading, be kind to your self . Bye
 
If in doubt about any type of contact always confirm by ringing the organization or via their official website. Do not click on any links or give any information over the phone.

I treat every contact I get as a scam, especially via phone, if its not a number I know or have in my contacts I let it ring out. If its legit they will leave a message, if not they wont.
I tried that too, @Ken01: - all it did was congest my mailbox even when there was no actual message, 70-80% of the time it was just the noise of them putting down the phone that eventually blocked my message box, after receiving an average of 25-30 scam calls a week!

I decided, a few months ago, to answer abruptly "YES!", and they immediately hung up!
No more having to clear my mailbox every fortnight and others can leave genuine messages.

If they do get brazen and ask me how I am, I usually reply, "Fine, until I got your call!"
 
Last edited:
My MyGov was hacked some time ago. MyGov is so hard to use for many of us oldies especially if you have never been, or are no longer computer savi, I think these departments need to go back to snail mail at least if we get a letter we know it’s not a scam. I got a email just the other day from the tax office, why, I’m retired, go to MyGov it said but as I said MyGov had been hacked before. I ignored it.
 
The biggest scam of all is and will be the Digital ID control control control and good luck getting Centrelink to help
when you go in the first thing they ask do you have an appointment have you ever tried phoning Centrelink to make an appointment
you wait hours , when you walk into any Centrelink firstly the place is empty maybe a couple waiting to be seen , as far as staff go they just either sitter down slurping coffee or walking around in a trance ,there is no such thing as service.
Mygov is optional not compulsory as I found out from CentreLink. I do not want Digital ID and to have to give the government all my various information. (Putting all your eggs in the one basket). I see this as a recipe for disaster. Australia rejected the Australia card in a referendum. Perhaps we need to reject it again.
 
The biggest scam of all is and will be the Digital ID control control control and good luck getting Centrelink to help
when you go in the first thing they ask do you have an appointment have you ever tried phoning Centrelink to make an appointment
you wait hours , when you walk into any Centrelink firstly the place is empty maybe a couple waiting to be seen , as far as staff go they just either sitter down slurping coffee or walking around in a trance ,there is no such thing as service.
YOU FORGET "WORKING" FROM HOME!!!! WHY PHONES NOT ANSWERED!
 
I like the way you say contact
The biggest scam of all is and will be the Digital ID control control control and good luck getting Centrelink to help
when you go in the first thing they ask do you have an appointment have you ever tried phoning Centrelink to make an appointment
you wait hours , when you walk into any Centrelink firstly the place is empty maybe a couple waiting to be seen , as far as staff go they just either sitter down slurping coffee or walking around in a trance ,there is no such thing as service.
HEAR. HEAR ....DITTO
 
You tell us to set up "a passkey or connecting your Digital ID". That is insider jargon. It turns me off. Do better.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Radiant

Join the conversation

News, deals, games, and bargains for Aussies over 60. From everyday expenses like groceries and eating out, to electronics, fashion and travel, the club is all about helping you make your money go further.

Seniors Discount Club

The SDC searches for the best deals, discounts, and bargains for Aussies over 60. From everyday expenses like groceries and eating out, to electronics, fashion and travel, the club is all about helping you make your money go further.
  1. New members
  2. Jokes & fun
  3. Photography
  4. Nostalgia / Yesterday's Australia
  5. Food and Lifestyle
  6. Money Saving Hacks
  7. Offtopic / Everything else
  • We believe that retirement should be a time to relax and enjoy life, not worry about money. That's why we're here to help our members make the most of their retirement years. If you're over 60 and looking for ways to save money, connect with others, and have a laugh, we’d love to have you aboard.
  • Advertise with us

User Menu

Enjoyed Reading our Story?

  • Share this forum to your loved ones.
Change Weather Postcode×
Change Petrol Postcode×