What to do if you’ve been scammed
If you’ve opened a link, shared personal information or lost money, it’s normal to feel stressed or unsure what to do next. It’s important to act quickly.
Secure your myGov account after you’ve been scammed
If you’ve opened a link or given your personal details to a scammer, you should:
- call the Services Australia Scams and Identity Theft Helpdesk
- set up multifactor authentication, like Digital ID or passkeys. If you do this, you should also turn off your password
- change your myGov account password
- check your myGov account history for unfamiliar sign ins or suspicious activity
- complete tasks shown in the Security review section when signed in to your myGov account
- remove connected devices or passkeys you don’t recognise.
If the scammer could have accessed your linked services, for example Australian Taxation Office, Medicare or Centrelink, contact the linked service. Contact your bank if you shared bank or card details.
Get help if you can’t access your myGov account
If you can’t sign in to your myGov account, unusual sign in activity may have locked your account or changed your sign in details. Check your registered email address for a message from myGov about unusual sign in activity. Follow the prompts in that email to access your account.
You can also recover your account using Digital ID.
If you still can’t access your account, contact the myGov helpdesk immediately. They’ll help you try to recover your account.
You can also get help if a scam has affected you outside business hours on the Services Australia website.
Learn about other help available
Emotional help
Being scammed can feel overwhelming or embarrassing, but it happens to people of all ages and backgrounds.
You can get help and start the recovery process by speaking to someone.
If you need to talk to someone, reach out to family and friends, or learn more about getting mental health support.
Financial help
If you’re experiencing money problems after a scam, find out about financial counselling on the Moneysmart website.
Identity theft help
If you shared identity information, such as your driver's license, Medicare card number or Tax File Number, get confidential identity support on the IDCARE website.