Life in Australia Guide
Australia Anti-Scam Guide
Migrants living in Australia are often targeted for visa, jobs, rental and financial scams. This page covers the seven most common patterns and Australian government reporting channels.
If you have already been scammed
Immediately: (1) ask your bank to freeze the card/account, (2) report to Scamwatch (1300 795 995), (3) block any suspicious SMS/email/contact. Bank chargebacks may still be possible within 24-48 hours.
7 most common scam types
Visa & immigration scams
Fake immigration lawyers/MARA agents promising fast PR; charging extra fees beyond official Home Affairs fees.
Warning sign: The Australian Government never requests visa fees by email/SMS. Check MARA registration at https://portal.mara.gov.au/.
Job scams
Fake job ads — upfront deposits, fake ABNs, government-sponsored job impersonation, remote work offers asking for ID.
Warning sign: Real employers never ask employees for deposits. Verify ABNs free at https://abr.business.gov.au/.
Rental scams
Fake Gumtree/Facebook Marketplace listings — demanding bond upfront then disappearing, or pressuring contracts without inspection.
Warning sign: Always lodge bond with the state authority (NSW Fair Trading etc.) — never to a landlord personal account.
Romance scams
Tinder/Hinge/Facebook intimacy followed by emergency money requests, or pushing crypto/forex investment tips.
Warning sign: Never send money to someone you have not met in person. Reverse-search photos (Google/TinEye) to spot stock images.
Phishing (myGov/ATO/Medicare impersonation)
SMS click for tax refund, email renew Medicare card — fake login pages stealing credentials.
Warning sign: Australian government agencies never ask you to log in via SMS/email links. Always go to https://my.gov.au directly.
WhatsApp/SMS family impersonation
Mum lost my phone scams asking for transfers. Common across all cohorts — relatives in home countries impersonated.
Warning sign: Always call back the known number to verify. Treat new number claims as suspicious.
Investment scams (crypto/forex)
5% daily return, AI auto-trading bot, fake celebrity endorsements — small initial withdrawals as bait then disappearing after large deposits.
Warning sign: No ASIC licence = scam. Check at https://moneysmart.gov.au/check-and-report-scams.
Reporting channels
Report to one of these four Australian government channels matching the scam type. More reports protect other cohorts too.
Scamwatch (ACCC)
www.scamwatch.gov.au/ (opens in a new window)
Reports any scam type. Anonymous reporting OK.
Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC)
www.cyber.gov.au/ (opens in a new window)
Cyber crime, hacking, ransomware reports.
Australian Federal Police (AFP)
www.afp.gov.au/ (opens in a new window)
Large-money fraud, international fraud, organised crime.
ASIC MoneySmart
moneysmart.gov.au/ (opens in a new window)
Investment/financial product fraud + licence verification.
6 protection rules
• Never click suspicious links — always type official URLs (my.gov.au, ato.gov.au) directly.
• Pay immediately demands are 100% scams — government and banks never force instant decisions.
• Anywhere accepting only crypto/gift cards is a scam (government/banks never accept crypto or gift cards).
• Never send money or ID to someone you have only met online.
• Report and delete suspicious SMS/email. Do NOT reply STOP (this confirms an active number).
• Use unique passwords per site + 2FA. Use a password manager (1Password/Bitwarden).
Advanced Guide — Identity Theft, Government Accounts and Scams Targeting New Arrivals
Beyond the seven basic scam types, this guide covers six more sophisticated scams that target newly arrived residents in Australia and go after your identity and government accounts. Knowing the patterns in advance is the cheapest insurance you can get.
Tax File Number (TFN) Fraud & Identity Theft
Getting a TFN Is Free — Any 'Application Fee' Is a Scam
Applying for a TFN (Tax File Number) is handled free of charge by the ATO (Australian Taxation Office) — anyone advertising a 'convenient application service' for a fee via SMS, email or social media is running a scam. Always apply directly through ato.gov.au or my.gov.au. Handing your passport details and date of birth to a third party during the application can lead straight to identity theft.
Who Can Legitimately Ask for Your TFN
As a rule, your TFN should only go to the ATO, the TFN declaration you fill out after starting a job, your bank, your super fund and Services Australia. Putting your TFN on your resume, or giving it to a 'recruiter' before a job offer is confirmed, is one of the most common mistakes new arrivals make. If you're asked for your TFN or a passport copy at the job-ad stage, suspect a fake listing designed to harvest identity details.
Checking for TFN Misuse
Through the ATO account linked to your myGov, regularly check for tax returns you never lodged or income statements you don't recognise. A refund you never claimed showing up in your records can be a sign that someone has used your TFN to lodge a fraudulent return.
Verifying ATO Contact
The ATO will never threaten you with arrest, demand an immediate transfer, or ask for payment in gift cards or crypto. If a call or SMS claiming to be from the ATO seems off, don't reply using the contact details you were given — call the ATO's official scam verification line (1800 008 540) or check via the 'Verify or report a scam' page on ato.gov.au.
Identity Theft Recovery
If your identity has been compromised, change your myGov and email passwords immediately and notify your bank so they can monitor your cards and accounts. IDCARE (idcare.org), the national identity support service for Australia and New Zealand, offers free recovery counselling, and cybercrime can be reported to police through ReportCyber (cyber.gov.au). Requesting a credit ban from the credit reporting agencies temporarily blocks scammers from taking out new loans or opening cards in your name.
Centrelink Account Hijacking & SIM Swap
How SIM Swapping Works
If a scammer tricks your telco into porting your number onto their SIM, your SMS-based 2FA codes go to them instead — and from there your myGov and bank accounts can be taken over. The telltale sign is your phone suddenly showing 'No Service' and not recovering after a restart; when that happens, your first assumption should be a hijacked number, not a network outage.
Warning Signs
A myGov password reset email you didn't request, a linked service on your account you don't recognise, or your bank calling to confirm a government payment you know nothing about can all be signs of a takeover. The most dangerous response is 'it wasn't me, so I'll ignore it' — if you spot any of these, log in straight away and check your security settings and registered contact details.
Port-Out Protection
Australia has rules requiring extra identity verification before a number can be ported, and asking your telco (Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and others) to add an account PIN or similar lock makes you considerably harder to attack. A common opening move in a SIM swap is a call impersonating your telco asking you to read out a 'verification code' — never do it.
Hardening Your myGov Sign-In
In your myGov security settings, check whether sign-in options beyond SMS codes are available (myGov app code, passkeys and so on) and switch to a stronger method where you can. Using myID (formerly myGovID), the government's digital identity app, lets you authenticate without relying on SMS at all.
Immediate Response
Contact your telco to suspend the SIM and recover your number, then change your myGov and bank passwords once the number is back in your hands. If you suspect payments are being fraudulently claimed in your name, report it through Services Australia's fraud reporting channels (servicesaustralia.gov.au) and their Scams and Identity Theft Helpdesk, and lodge a report with Scamwatch as well to be safe.
Free Credit Reports
You can get a free credit report once every three months from each of the three credit reporting agencies — Equifax, Experian and illion. Check for loan or card enquiries you don't recognise, and if you suspect fraud, request a credit ban (initially 21 days, extendable) to block new accounts being opened in your name.
Accommodation Advance-Fee Scams
Too-Good-To-Be-True Listings
A place at half the going rate, glossy stock-photo-style images, and a host who 'can't show you through because they're overseas' is the classic fake listing combination. Run the photos through Google reverse image search or TinEye — you'll often find the images were lifted from another site.
Off-Platform Payment Requests
Platforms like Airbnb and Stayz only protect you within their own payment systems, so a host suggesting a bank transfer, gift cards or crypto 'to save on fees' is a scam signal. Fake listings are sometimes posted through hacked accounts of genuine hosts, so even if the conversation is happening on the platform, never follow a link to pay outside it.
Verify Before You Pay
Before sending any deposit, speak to the host directly by phone or video call, and where possible do an inspection in person or have a local friend visit on your behalf. Walk away from any deal where 'the keys will be sent once you pay' with no contract or confirmation email, or where you're being pressured to decide on the spot.
Payment Method Risk
Bank transfers (including PayID), gift cards and crypto are extremely hard to claw back once sent. Paying within the official platform or by credit card — methods with a dispute process such as chargeback — gives you a far better chance of recovering your money if something goes wrong.
If You've Already Paid
If you've just made the transfer, contact your bank immediately, report it as a fraudulent transaction and ask them to attempt a recall — the odds of recovery drop the longer you wait. Report it to the platform's support team and Scamwatch as well, which helps stop the same listing claiming more victims.
Courier & Parcel Scams (Fake Delivery Notifications)
Fake Delivery Notifications
Texts and emails impersonating Australia Post, DHL or FedEx claim your parcel is on hold and demand a customs or redelivery fee. Click rates are especially high among new arrivals, who often genuinely have parcels on the way — so even when you do have an order coming, make it a habit to check through official channels rather than the link in the message.
What Real Carriers Never Do
Australia Post states officially that it will never call, text or email asking for payment or for personal and financial details to release a parcel. Even when customs charges are genuinely payable on an international delivery, there's a formal notification process — treat any text link demanding immediate payment as a scam.
Check the Sender Domain
Genuine Australia Post links use the auspost.com.au domain; lookalike domains containing 'auspost' and shortened URLs are very likely phishing. These messages often come with grammatical errors, misspelt company names and awkward greetings, so read the sender's address all the way to the end.
Safe Tracking Habit
Instead of tapping the link in a text, enter your tracking number directly into the official AusPost app or the carrier's official website. If a notification doesn't match a tracking number you actually hold, simply report it and delete it.
If You Entered Card Details
If you've typed your card number into a fake payment page, contact your bank straight away — even before any money has left the account — and ask for the card to be blocked and reissued. Keep an eye on your transactions for several months afterwards, and report the text or email to Scamwatch before deleting it.
The 'Long-Distance Romance + Business Proposal' Hybrid
How Romance Baiting Works
ACCC Scamwatch classifies the tactic of using a romantic connection as bait to draw victims into investments or business ventures as 'romance baiting'. Unlike the classic romance scam that begs for direct transfers, it approaches under labels like 'a family business investment opportunity', 'costs of moving to Australia' or 'saving for our future together', so the losses tend to be much larger — and new arrivals looking for a local partner are prime targets.
Red Flags
Be suspicious if money or investment talk starts within two to three weeks of meeting, the person avoids voice or video calls, or they refuse any request to verify their job or assets. Pushing to move quickly from the dating app to an outside messenger like WhatsApp or Telegram is another classic pattern, designed to dodge the platform's scam detection.
Payment Escalation
It often starts with small bank transfers and, once trust is built, shifts to crypto, which is far harder to trace. Money sent in crypto is effectively unrecoverable, so treat any suggestion to 'set up an exchange account' as a warning sign in itself.
Verifying Who You're Talking To
Run their profile photos through Google or TinEye reverse image search to check for stolen images, and explicitly ask for a video call. The rule is simple — never send money, whatever the amount or the reason, to someone you've only ever met online.
Recovery Scams
Once it's known you've been scammed, 'recovery scams' often follow — someone offering to get your money back for a fee. Anyone volunteering to recover your funds is also a scammer. Stop all further transfers, notify your bank and report it to Scamwatch. Blaming yourself and keeping it hidden is the most common path to being victimised twice, so it's safer to tell the people around you.
Fake Professional Qualification Services
Official Assessing Authorities Only
Australian recognition of overseas qualifications (skills assessment and registration) is handled exclusively by the official body for each profession — AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) for nurses, doctors and other health practitioners, Engineers Australia for engineers, CPA Australia or CA ANZ for accountants, ACS (Australian Computer Society) for IT, and VETASSESS for many general professions. The rule is to create your own account on the body's official website and apply directly — no scheme requires you to go through a third-party 'agent'.
How the Scam Approaches You
Suspect a scam if you're approached first by email, social media or messenger — rather than through an official body's website — with offers of 'application handling', 'guaranteed fast approval' or a 'fee to lift a restricted licence'. Official fees are published on each body's website, so a demand for a separate 'additional processing fee' over email is itself a decisive scam signal.
No Such Thing as Record Cleaning
Police checks in Australia are issued only through state police or ACIC (Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission) accredited bodies, and no service that can 'wipe' your record for money exists in the system. Offers like this are scams designed to extort fees and harvest your identity details at the same time.
Protect Your Documents
Emailing scans of your passport, degree certificates and employment references to an 'agent' is a common mistake, and quite apart from the qualification scam it can lead to identity theft. Upload documents directly to the assessing authority's official portal, and only pay through the authority's official payment page.
Finding Your Assessing Authority
If you're not sure which body covers your profession, the Department of Home Affairs skilled occupation list shows the designated assessing authority for each occupation. Typing .gov.au and official organisation domains into your browser yourself — rather than going through search ads or broker sites — is the simplest and surest habit for staying safe.