SMS scam alert – Medicare
Scammers have produced a new SMSishing scam targeting Medicare. The clone of the website aims to trick you into providing your personal details.
Please see the alert below from Stay Smart Online for more information.
What’s happened?
Watch out for fake SMS text messages pretending to be from Medicare. These are phishing messages that encourage you to click through to a website and provide personal information to claim a rebate.
These fake messages are being sent out in large numbers and are trying to steal your sensitive personal details and use them for malicious purposes
Does it affect me?
Anyone could receive these SMS messages.
How do I stay safe?
SMS continues to be a popular method for criminals hoping to trick you into handing over your money or personal information.
There are some simple steps you can take to avoid an email scam:
- Do not click on links in emails or text messages claiming to be from myGov or Medicare. myGov will never send you a text, email or attachment with hyperlinks or web addresses.
- Don’t open messages if you don’t know the sender, or if you’re not expecting them.
- Be suspicious of messages that aren’t addressed directly to you, or don’t use your correct name.
- Login to your official myGov account by typing the web address my.gov.au into your browser to check your inbox for any legitimate emails from Medicare. Check that https:// appears at the beginning of the address bar when you land on the site.
- You can also contact Medicare separately to check if they have sent the message.
If you are concerned that your personal information has been compromised and misused, you can contact Australia’s National Identity and Cyber Support Service, IDCare or use their free Cyber First Aid Kit.
If you have been a victim of a cybercrime such as fraud, report it to the Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network (ACORN).
More information
Read more about how to protect yourself from SMS phishing scams
The information provided here is of a general nature. Everyone’s circumstances are different. If you require specific advice you should contact your local technical support provider.
