Services Australia warns recipients to be vigilant over ‘bonus’ Centrelink payments

As the cost of living continues to rise, many Australians are looking for financial relief, and scammers are exploiting this vulnerability with false promises of 'bonus' payments from Centrelink.

It's a cruel trick that could lead to the loss of personal information and financial security.



Services Australia, the government body responsible for social security payments, has issued a stern warning to Centrelink recipients: be vigilant and don't be misled by unofficial websites and social media accounts claiming to offer a ‘one-off payment’, ‘cash relief payment’, or ‘bonus payment’.

The truth is, there is no such bonus payment being offered by Centrelink.


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Services Australia issued a stern warning to Centrelink recipients over fake ‘bonus’ payments. Credit: Shutterstock


‘They’re targeting our customers by falsely saying there’s an extra payment coming to help ease the cost-of-living pressures. There is no bonus payment,’ Services Australia said.

‘If you visit one of these websites or click on their links on social media, you’re at risk of being scammed. Don’t trust unofficial websites or social media accounts for advice about Centrelink payments.’

It's important to remember that official communication from Services Australia will only come from verified sources.



The safest way to check for legitimate information about Centrelink payments and services is by visiting the official Services Australia website, which ends in .gov.au.

If you're ever in doubt, you can also call Services Australia directly to verify any information you've received.

In the past, similar scams have targeted older Australians with false claims of extra payments for those on the age pension.

These scams have offered varying amounts of money, including $750 and $1,800, to entice individuals into their traps.



But the deception doesn't stop there. Other scams involve fraudsters impersonating Services Australia officials and calling people to claim they owe an urgent debt.

These scammers use fear tactics, threatening arrest if the supposed debt isn't paid immediately via bank transfer, gift cards, or cryptocurrency.

Services Australia's advice is clear: if you receive such a call, hang up immediately.

Tip
If you suspect a scam or believe you may be the victim of fraud, report it to Scamwatch here.

According to Scamwatch data, Australians have lost over $134 million to scams this year alone, with investment scams leading the way, followed by romance and phishing scams.

The sophistication of these scams has increased, with reports of scammers accessing Australians' Centrelink, Australian Taxation Office, and Medicare accounts by creating fake myGov accounts through a process known as ‘unauthorised linking’.

This involves linking a legitimate myGov account with a fake one set up by the scammer, often without the victim's knowledge.
Key Takeaways
  • Services Australia warned of scams offering fake 'bonus' cash payments purportedly to assist with cost-of-living pressures.
  • Scammers are attempting to lure individuals with claims of additional Centrelink payments that do not exist, aiming to steal personal information.
  • Recipients are urged only to trust the official Services Australia website or call to verify information rather than relying on unofficial websites or social media.
  • Australians have been advised to be cautious of scams impersonating Centrelink, myGov, and Medicare, with scammers using tactics like threatening immediate arrest over fake debts to coerce payments.
Have you or someone you know been targeted by a Centrelink-related scam? Share your story in the comments below to help others stay vigilant.
 
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As a pensioner I don't know anything about the $1000 every 6 months. DO you borrow money from the government and have to pay it back .PLEASE EXPLAIN
I've only ever done this once and it was many many many yrs ago and the amount then was for $500.00. Unsure of what it is today. Every 6mths you can ask Centrelink for an advance payment on your benefit and they then took $38.50 out of my fortnightly payment to repay the advance. It was paid off within that 6mth period. I had a friend who did this every 6mths for years until he passed away.
 
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Reactions: Iggydi
Beware for sure...!
Did you know, if you are fighting a case for compensation from an accident etc. and WIN... not only are you unable to get any assistance for ANYTHING, from Centrelink for the next TWO YEARS, but... ALL PAYMENTS of assistance during your trial, eg, unemployment, disability, medicare and even PRIVATE Health Insurance, will be DEDUCTED from your compensation and returned to every one of these providers?????
I just got a medical negligence payout and yes I had to pay centrelink back $25000, Medicare $10000 and my private health insurance $20000. I think repaying was fair as part of the claim was for medical expenses and employment loss.
The only one I don't agree on is paying back private health insurance as I pay them to be covered.

With centrelink it is 1 year you can't receive money for every $100,000 you receive. And they start it from when the problem first started eg for me it started from end of 2019. Which I didn't start getting centrelink until 2021.
I was more than happy to pay centrelink back.
 
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Further to my story, Centrelink told me I would have to prove the money was not in my account. I told them they had my account details. The problem was, the hackers had changed my bank details, so the money would go into a myriad of accounts. How was I supposed to know this?
But, Centrelink and the ATO were very nice about everything.
 
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Don't they have to pay this back? I think it's like a loan
Yes. Repayments are automatically deducted from your pension, Jobseeker or other benefit for a period of 13 fortnights. The upside is that the loan is totally interest free, no application or establishment fees or administration fees. Borrow $500, pay back $500. Not a cent more!
 
About 6 or 7 months ago, I logged on to myGov and jumped in to my ATO account. I saw I was about to get a $22,000 tax refund. I thought it a bit strange, since I had not worked for the FY. Since the payment had not been paid yet, I immediately contacted the ATO. They were very nice and stopped the payment.
Within only minutes, my email account was bombarded with hundreds of emails, all different languages, which I now had to unsubscribe from individually. I was told my account had been hacked.
This occurred only days after changing passwords on many sites. I adhered to all the professional advice, changed all my passwords regularly, and still got hacked.
We can't win.
Never unsubscribe to spam mail. You are letting them know it's an active email and they sell you details and you will end up with 100's of junk mail. Just add the email to spam and report it.
 
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As a pensioner I don't know anything about the $1000 every 6 months. DO you borrow money from the government and have to pay it back .PLEASE EXPLAIN
Yes you can get an advance on your pension if you need extra money and then pay it back over 6 months.
 
I have been a pensioner for many years & have never heard this nonsense of receiving $1000 every six months. All you get, & all you are entitled to, is your pension every fortnight.
I think you may be referring to the $1,000 you are eligible to borrow. Centrelink has a system where you can borrow $1,000 for large items, eg, if you need a new fridge (which is what we needed). We applied through the proper channels and received a bulk payment of $1,000. The repayments are made by a reduction in your fortnightly pension. When the money is repaid, your pension goes back to the original amount.
 
As a pensioner I don't know anything about the $1000 every 6 months. DO you borrow money from the government and have to pay it back .PLEASE EXPLAIN
I think you may be referring to the $1,000 you are eligible to borrow. Centrelink has a system where you can borrow $1,000 for large items, eg, if you need a new fridge (which is what we needed). We applied through the proper channels and received a bulk payment of $1,000. The repayments are made by a reduction in your fortnightly pension. When the money is repaid, your pension goes back to the original amount.
 
I have been a pensioner for many years & have never heard this nonsense of receiving $1000 every six months. All you get, & all you are entitled to, is your pension every fortnight.
You can apply for an advance every 6 months but they take the extra payment from your pension each fortnight
 
As a pensioner I don't know anything about the $1000 every 6 months. DO you borrow money from the government and have to pay it back .PLEASE EXPLAIN
go online to Centrelink and you can apply for various amounts repayments depend on how much you get
 

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