Cybercriminals are now targeting Australians with superannuation scams, attempting to exploit the most vulnerable people suffering financial hardship during the COVID-19 crisis. Australians now have access to their super fund from mid-April and can draw down a percentage of cash to keep them afloat. Since the changes permitting fund access in March came about, the ACCC’s online watchdog, Scamwatch, received 87 reports of fraudulent advances, as scammers attempted to obtain personal information that could give them access to the victim’s super fund.
Scamwatch says, “scammers are offering to check if a person’s super account is eligible for various benefits or claiming the new scheme will lock people out of their accounts.”
This latest criminal enterprise is just one of the hundreds of scams cashing in on the COVID-19 crisis.
Note: If you plan to apply for early super fund release, you should register online using your MyGov account. The Government says they will notify anyone who registers by email or SMS when applications open. More details can be found here.
PROTECT+ Security Operations team continues to monitor and track these malicious behaviours and will warn our Customers and the Public as we learn of them.
