IF YOU find an email supposedly from Centrelink in your inbox claiming you are entitled to a "subsidy benefit", beware. It's a scam; the subsidy does not exist.
Centrelink will never ask you to:
- Send personal information by email, SMS or Facebook
- Follow hyperlinks in emails
- Download files from the internet, or open attachments in emails you're not expecting
- Give it passwords or PIN numbers to your bank accounts
- Pay a fee to get your payment or service
- Buy gift cards or vouchers, such as iTunes
Do not provide your personal details if you're unsure of the person contacting you. If possible, get the person's contact details and phone Centrelink on one of its payment lines.
If you are unsure about an email claiming to be from Centrelink, phone want to check if the email or SMS is from Centrelink, phone 132-300 or visit www.humanservices.gov.au
To keep abreast of the latest scams, or to report a new scam, visit Scamwatch - www.scamwatch.gov.au