The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has warned Australians against recent myGov email and text scams, with the intent behind these scams to “harvest login credentials to facilitate identity takeover and commit fraud”.
“They may also use the fake login page to gain more personal identifying information such as financial details or get the victim to complete a form,” an ACCC spokesperson said.
A recent tweet by Scamwatch revealed that reports of myGov scams were up 160% in January 2023 from the previous month. Scamwatch advised to “Watch out for emails and messages that appear to be from myGov saying you’re eligible for a refund or rebate. Never access the site by clicking a hyperlink.”
Legitimate messages from myGov will only ever appear in a consumer’s official myGov inbox Australians should never access myGov via a hyperlink. and only access the website via an independent internet search. Never share your login details with anyone, to avoid being scammed.
Identity fraud is a very real crime, and if your personal information falls into the wrong hands, it can be used to steal your identity.
If you think your identity has been stolen, report it to your bank and change your passwords.
For further advice on how to minimise identity fraud and tighten up cybersecurity in your organisation, contact us.
Author: Lisa Seltzer, Agilient Consultant