A concerned Lithgow resident informed the Lithgow Mercury of a new scam going around, where residents receive a text message from a private number claiming to be Centrelink, and they ask you to verify your details.
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According to the resident he was asked to verify details such as his Centrelink number, email address and other private information.
The resident said it was all to do with receiving payments from the Government in regards to being out of work due to COVID-19.
"I rang Centrelink straight away and they confirmed my suspicions that it was a scam, but I just thought about the poor pensioners that might get caught out," he said.
Services Australia General Manager Hank Jongen said the number of scams being reported has substantially increased in recent years and new types of scams emerge regularly.
"The department does call, SMS or email people from time to time, and may ask questions to confirm we are speaking to the correct person, including asking for the person's name, address and Customer Reference Number but the department's staff will always introduce and identify themselves clearly," he said.
According to Mr Jongen the department won't send links to your personal email address, or by text message.
The department never asks people to:
- send personal information (e.g. Medicare number) or provide documents (e.g. identity documents) by email, SMS or social media
- transfer money or purchase gift cards or vouchers, such as iTunes cards, to receive a payment or service
- provide passwords to bank accounts
- download files from the internet or email attachments
- pay a fee to receive a payment or service
If you think you have been scammed or someone is trying to scam you, Centrelink does have a Scams and Identity Theft Helpdesk you can contact.
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Ciara Bastow
Hi! I'm Ciara and I've been working as a journalist for a number of years now, covering everything ranging from council, human interest stories, community news and sport. Got a story? Email me at ciara.bastow@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Hi! I'm Ciara and I've been working as a journalist for a number of years now, covering everything ranging from council, human interest stories, community news and sport. Got a story? Email me at ciara.bastow@austcommunitymedia.com.au
