Australians have been alerted of websites falsely advertising an $890 " bonus payment " for cost of living relief , supposedly issued by Centrelink this month, according to local media reports. These sites, which have appeared recently, allege the payment will be provided by the end of October. However, Services Australia has confirmed these claims are untrue and warned that the websites are scams aimed at stealing MyGov credentials.
A spokesperson from Services Australia was quoted as telling SBS News that they are aware of this "clickbait" scam, which is part of a larger trend of phishing scams. Fraudsters have created websites and social media posts promoting a supposed “one-off payment,” “Centrelink cash relief payment,” or “bonus payment.”
These false claims suggest the payment is for various reasons, including cost-of-living support or aid for concession cardholders, with sums ranging from $750 to $1,800. Last week, Google searches for "$890 bonus payment Centrelink" surged, with results often leading to articles about a non-existent October payment, according to the report.
Services Australia clarified that none of these payments are real, saying that updates on payments are only shared on its official websites and social media. They cautioned that legitimate government URLs end in ".gov.au" and warned that other URLs could be scams.
The report suggested that the scam sites often feature a tool for "checking eligibility," prompting users to enter personal details into a fake calculator. Scammers then exploit these credentials, sometimes locking users out of their accounts or filing fraudulent MyGov claims for funds. To secure accounts, Services Australia advises setting up a verbal password.
Phishing scams, in which scammers impersonate legitimate businesses like banks or telecom providers, are common. Scamwatch reports that Australians have lost over $134 million to scams this year, with phishing scams accounting for the third-highest losses, after investment and romance scams.
A spokesperson from Services Australia was quoted as telling SBS News that they are aware of this "clickbait" scam, which is part of a larger trend of phishing scams. Fraudsters have created websites and social media posts promoting a supposed “one-off payment,” “Centrelink cash relief payment,” or “bonus payment.”
These false claims suggest the payment is for various reasons, including cost-of-living support or aid for concession cardholders, with sums ranging from $750 to $1,800. Last week, Google searches for "$890 bonus payment Centrelink" surged, with results often leading to articles about a non-existent October payment, according to the report.
Services Australia clarified that none of these payments are real, saying that updates on payments are only shared on its official websites and social media. They cautioned that legitimate government URLs end in ".gov.au" and warned that other URLs could be scams.
The report suggested that the scam sites often feature a tool for "checking eligibility," prompting users to enter personal details into a fake calculator. Scammers then exploit these credentials, sometimes locking users out of their accounts or filing fraudulent MyGov claims for funds. To secure accounts, Services Australia advises setting up a verbal password.
Phishing scams, in which scammers impersonate legitimate businesses like banks or telecom providers, are common. Scamwatch reports that Australians have lost over $134 million to scams this year, with phishing scams accounting for the third-highest losses, after investment and romance scams.
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