A warning has been issued for Centrelink users after scam emails were found luring people into fake government service accounts.
Scammers have been caught impersonating Centrelink and the Australian Government’s myGov service using phishing emails to trick customers into giving out their information.
The scam urges recipients to “review your income and asset information” by a specific due date, but instead directs unsuspecting users to fake platforms designed to steal myGov credentials, SMS codes, identity documents and answers to security questions, email security platform MailGuard said.
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The phishing emails are said to closely resemble official Centrelink emails, with fake branding and language that looks legitimate.
Centrelink users might be prompted by the fake emails to “sign in”, however once details are entered, an error message will pop up saying “the information you entered is incorrect. Please try to login again”.
Once a user adds their username or email and password, they are asked to enter their mobile number to receive a code.
MailGuard said the attackers are likely attempting to capture one‑time codes used to secure myGov accounts, potentially enabling them to bypass multi‑factor authentication.
The fake weblink may even prompt the user to add more personal information such as driver’s licence and passport numbers.
