Scamwatch warns of myGov phishing scam

Scammers trying to cheat Australians out of their money are getting creative. Now the federal government has warned of a new method being used.

The federal government has warned of a new wave of scam text messages aiming to cheat Aussies out of their money.

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) sounded the alarm through its Scamwatch service on Thursday.

A warning message said scammers send emails and text messages claiming to be from myGov, asking the victim to click a fraudulent website link.

“This week we’ve received more than 80 reports of phishing messages in this ongoing campaign impersonating myGov,” Scamwatch wrote in a tweet.

“Don't click on links in emails or text messages claiming to be from myGov. MyGov will never send you a text, email or attachment with hyperlinks or web addresses.”

This week we’ve received more than 80 reports of phishing messages in this ongoing campaign impersonating myGov. Don't click on links in emails or text messages claiming to be from myGov. myGov will never send you a text, email or attachment with hyperlinks or web addresses. pic.twitter.com/y3VzT34odg

— Scamwatch_gov_au (@Scamwatch_gov) January 28, 2021

In an example of a scam text message provided by Scamwatch, the fraudsters wrote: “After the last annual calculation, we noticed that you are eligible to receive $219.63 AUD. Please click below to submit an eForm for refund.”

On a security information page on the myGov website, officials instruct users to sign up for mobile phone codes in order to safely access their accounts.

That’s done by adding a phone number to which the website will send a code, which is then plugged into the browser, a system otherwise known as two-factor authentication.

“If you have a mobile phone, an Australian mobile phone number and reliable mobile reception, we recommend you set up and use myGov security codes on your myGov account,” the website says.

The website also says that while emails and text messages asking for user information should be treated with suspicion, inbox messages on the actual myGov service are safe to open.

Originally published as Scamwatch warns of myGov phishing scam