Services Australia warns Aussies as fake $890 Centrelink bonus payment clickbait scam does the rounds

Scam sites sharing false information about a “Centrelink bonus payment” have recently been popping up in large numbers online.

Services Australia told 7NEWS.com.au it was aware of the “clickbait”, and has released advice to help weed out the unofficial sites.

While these types of scams are not new, dozens of fake websites pushing a specific claim — that an $890 bonus payment is available for recipients in October 2024 — have emerged in the last week alone.

Some sites say the payment is “intended for individuals who are 60 years old or older with the possibility for others, like those with disabilities and individuals with low incomes, to qualify as well”.

Others even claim that the payment is available to US citizens — but those claims, and the websites they appear on, are not legitimate.

“They’re sharing false information about bonus Centrelink payments,” Services Australia warned.

“You might read about a new ‘one-off payment’, ‘Centrelink cash relief payment’ or ‘bonus payment’ to help with the cost of living, help people getting Age Pension, help people who have a concession card.”

While the latest scam is pushing the fake “$890 bonus payment”, Services Australia warns recipients not to be fooled by other purported figures.

“They offer varying amounts of money, including $750 and $1800. These payments don’t exist,” it said.

The government agency said the public should not trust information learned solely through websites that do not end in “.gov.au”.

“If the website URL doesn’t end in .gov.au then it isn’t an official government website. It could be a scam,” Services Australia said.

“We’ll always let you know when there are changes to any of our payments or services.”

The scams are also being circulated on social media, and Services Australia also advised to trust only official social media channels with information regarding Centrelink.

If you believe you have clicked on an unofficial link, or provided personal information to a scammer, you can call the Services Australia Scams and Identity Theft Helpdesk.