Sydney: Services Australia has issued an urgent warning to all Australians, particularly Age Pension recipients, about a growing wave of online scams spreading false information regarding Centrelink eligibility and benefits.
The government agency clarified that there have been no recent changes to Age Pension eligibility or document verification processes. Scammers, however, have been pushing misleading headlines online to create confusion and fear among vulnerable communities.
“We urge everyone to double-check everything they read online,” said a Services Australia spokesperson. “Scammers are spreading misinformation to exploit unsuspecting Australians.”
Scammers have been using fraudulent websites designed to look like genuine Centrelink or Services Australia pages. These sites often have convincing layouts and sensational headlines, but they can be easily identified if the URL does not end in “.gov.au”.
Services Australia General Manager Hank Jongen explained that many of these scam websites exist primarily to generate advertising revenue through high traffic rather than stealing personal information directly.
