Scamwatch - Government impersonation scams

Scammers are pretending to be government agencies providing information on COVID-19 through text messages and emails ‘phishing’ for your information.

These contain malicious links and attachments designed to steal your personal and financial information.

These examples appear to come from ‘GOV’ and ‘myGov’, with a malicious link to more information on COVID-19.

 

Scammers are also pretending to be Government agencies and other entities offering to help you with applications for financial assistance or payments for staying home.

Tips to protect yourself from these types of scams:

• Don’t click on hyperlinks in text/social media messages or emails, even if it appears to come from a trusted source.
• Go directly to the website through your browser. For example, to reach the MyGov website type ‘my.gov.au’ into your browser yourself.
• Never respond to unsolicited messages and calls that ask for personal or financial details, even if they claim to be a from a reputable organisation or government authority.