If you’re a Centrelink recipient, you might have seen some suspicious websites popping up on social media claiming you’re eligible for a $600 “cash bonus” in January.
Sorry to break it to you, but it’s a scam.
The False Promise of a “One-Time Cash Bonus”
These fake websites are advertising a “one-time $600 cash bonus” that’s supposedly being paid out in the first week of January to help Aussies cope with rising living costs. They’re also claiming that Age Pension recipients will get a “bigger retirement income” with a payment rate increase in January. But here’s the thing: none of this is true.
According to Services Australia general manager Hank Jongen, these websites are spreading misinformation to get your attention and get you to click on their ads. “Their main purpose is likely gaining advertising revenue through website traffic, rather than phishing for personal information,” Jongen said.
Don’t Fall for the Clickbait Headlines
These scams often use attention-grabbing headlines with fake payment amounts, like $750 or $1,800, claiming they’re for various reasons like cost-of-living support or helping pensioners, low-income earners, people with disabilities, and job seekers. But it’s all just a ruse to get you to visit their website and click on their ads.
How to Spot a Clickbait Scam
So, how can you tell if a website is trying to scam you? Here’s a simple rule of thumb: if the website URL doesn’t end in ‘.gov.au’, it’s not an official government website. “The best thing people can do to protect themselves from this misinformation is to ignore the clickbait headlines and only trust information online about our payments and services from our genuine websites [and] our official social media accounts,” Jongen said.
Genuine Centrelink Payment Increases
Just to set the record straight, some Centrelink payments and income support will increase on January 1, including Youth Allowance, Austudy, Youth Disability Support Pension, and Carer Allowance. This is part of regular indexation. Other payments like the Age Pension, JobSeeker, and Disability Support Pension will increase in March and September.
What You Can Do to Stay Safe
Services Australia is working hard to shut down these fake websites, but it’s not an easy task. “Services Australia is limited in the actions we can take to remove these websites. They’re easy for scammers to create and can be written by AI,” Jongen said.
So, remember to always be cautious when clicking on links or giving out personal information online. Stick to official government websites like servicesaustralia.gov.au and my.gov.au, and only trust information from these sources. Stay safe, Aussies!