Services Australia warns of fake $600 Centrelink cash bonus as scammers exploit cost-of-living concerns
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In an age where every penny counts, Australians are constantly on the lookout for ways to stretch their dollars further.
With the cost of living on the rise, many are eagerly awaiting news of financial relief.
However, this anticipation has unfortunately opened the door to opportunistic scammers preying on the vulnerable, particularly those who rely on Centrelink benefits.
Services Australia has recently issued a stark warning about a cruel scam that has been circulating on the internet, promising a $600 ‘cash bonus’ for Centrelink recipients in January.
These claims are entirely false and are part of a larger trend of ‘clickbait’ websites designed to exploit individuals seeking financial support.
Fake websites promoting this bogus cost-of-living support are spreading across social media.
The scam websites boast headlines claiming that the government has announced a ‘one-time $600 cash bonus’ to be paid in the first week of January to help ‘Aussies dealing with rising living costs’.
It also incorrectly states that Age Pension recipients will see a ‘bigger retirement income’ with a payment rate increase in January.
These statements are not only misleading but also completely fabricated.
Hank Jongen, Services Australia's General Manager, has recognised that there were ‘unofficial websites sharing misformation’ about bonus payments for Centrelink recipients and unannounced payment increases.
‘The websites are designed to get a lot of traffic using clickbait headlines, to take advantage of people who are interested in financial support,’ he explained.
‘Their main purpose is likely gaining advertising revenue through website traffic, rather than phishing for personal information.’
‘However, people should not give out their personal information, including myGov sign-in details, to access fake payments or payment increases,’ Mr Jongen added.
Certain Centrelink payments and income support, including Youth Allowance, Austudy, Youth Disability Support Pension, and Carer Allowance, will rise on January 1 as part of regular indexation.
Payments such as the Age Pension, JobSeeker, and Disability Support Pension are adjusted with indexation in March and September.
A number of websites have been spreading false information about Centrelink payments, often advertising amounts like $750 or $1,800.
These sites claim the payments are being made for various reasons, such as assisting with the cost of living or supporting pensioners, low-income earners, people with disabilities, and job seekers.
Services Australia has stated that shutting down these websites has proven to be a challenge.
‘Services Australia is limited in the actions we can take to remove these websites. They’re easy for scammers to create and can be written by AI,’ Mr Jongen explained.
It's crucial for our readers, especially those who may not be as internet-savvy, to stay vigilant against such scams.
Always remember that if a website URL does not end in ‘.gov.au’, it is not an official government site.
‘The best thing people can do to protect themselves from this misinformation is to ignore the clickbait headlines and only trust information online about our payments and services from our genuine websites [and] our official social media accounts,’ Mr Jongen advised.
Moreover, any legitimate information regarding Centrelink payments and increases will come directly from Services Australia or through official government communications.
Services Australia’s genuine websites are servicesaustralia.gov.au and my.gov.au. The Services Australia’s website also provides updated information about scams targeting Australians.
As Centrelink continues to warn Australians about the rise in scams related to false bonus payments, this isn’t the first time such fraudulent schemes have targeted vulnerable individuals.
Just a few months ago, Services Australia issued another warning regarding a similar scam promising an $890 Centrelink bonus.
With these deceitful tactics becoming more prevalent, it’s crucial for Australians to stay vigilant and informed about how to protect themselves from falling victim to such scams.
Have you come across similar websites offering these fake bonus announcements? How do you think this issue could be addressed? Share your experiences and suggestions in the comments below.
With the cost of living on the rise, many are eagerly awaiting news of financial relief.
However, this anticipation has unfortunately opened the door to opportunistic scammers preying on the vulnerable, particularly those who rely on Centrelink benefits.
Services Australia has recently issued a stark warning about a cruel scam that has been circulating on the internet, promising a $600 ‘cash bonus’ for Centrelink recipients in January.
These claims are entirely false and are part of a larger trend of ‘clickbait’ websites designed to exploit individuals seeking financial support.
Fake websites promoting this bogus cost-of-living support are spreading across social media.
Aussies are warned about a scam falsely offering a $600 ‘cash bonus’ to Centrelink recipients. Credit: Shutterstock
The scam websites boast headlines claiming that the government has announced a ‘one-time $600 cash bonus’ to be paid in the first week of January to help ‘Aussies dealing with rising living costs’.
It also incorrectly states that Age Pension recipients will see a ‘bigger retirement income’ with a payment rate increase in January.
These statements are not only misleading but also completely fabricated.
Hank Jongen, Services Australia's General Manager, has recognised that there were ‘unofficial websites sharing misformation’ about bonus payments for Centrelink recipients and unannounced payment increases.
‘The websites are designed to get a lot of traffic using clickbait headlines, to take advantage of people who are interested in financial support,’ he explained.
‘Their main purpose is likely gaining advertising revenue through website traffic, rather than phishing for personal information.’
‘However, people should not give out their personal information, including myGov sign-in details, to access fake payments or payment increases,’ Mr Jongen added.
Certain Centrelink payments and income support, including Youth Allowance, Austudy, Youth Disability Support Pension, and Carer Allowance, will rise on January 1 as part of regular indexation.
Payments such as the Age Pension, JobSeeker, and Disability Support Pension are adjusted with indexation in March and September.
A number of websites have been spreading false information about Centrelink payments, often advertising amounts like $750 or $1,800.
These sites claim the payments are being made for various reasons, such as assisting with the cost of living or supporting pensioners, low-income earners, people with disabilities, and job seekers.
Services Australia has stated that shutting down these websites has proven to be a challenge.
‘Services Australia is limited in the actions we can take to remove these websites. They’re easy for scammers to create and can be written by AI,’ Mr Jongen explained.
It's crucial for our readers, especially those who may not be as internet-savvy, to stay vigilant against such scams.
Always remember that if a website URL does not end in ‘.gov.au’, it is not an official government site.
‘The best thing people can do to protect themselves from this misinformation is to ignore the clickbait headlines and only trust information online about our payments and services from our genuine websites [and] our official social media accounts,’ Mr Jongen advised.
Moreover, any legitimate information regarding Centrelink payments and increases will come directly from Services Australia or through official government communications.
Services Australia’s genuine websites are servicesaustralia.gov.au and my.gov.au. The Services Australia’s website also provides updated information about scams targeting Australians.
As Centrelink continues to warn Australians about the rise in scams related to false bonus payments, this isn’t the first time such fraudulent schemes have targeted vulnerable individuals.
Just a few months ago, Services Australia issued another warning regarding a similar scam promising an $890 Centrelink bonus.
With these deceitful tactics becoming more prevalent, it’s crucial for Australians to stay vigilant and informed about how to protect themselves from falling victim to such scams.
