Beware of Scam ‘Medicare Rebate’ Text Messages
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What the fact-checkers found
Australian residents have been receiving fraudulent text messages claiming that they are owed a Medicare rebate.
The messages prompt you to follow a link to get the supposed rebate.
However, the messages were not sent by Medicare and the claim that you are owed a rebate is a lie designed to trick you into clicking the link. Instead, the messages are phishing scam designed to steal your personal information.
The link opens a fake website that has been built to emulate the Medicare section of the Australian Government Department of Human Services website. Once on the bogus site, you will be taken through a series of online forms that ask you to supply a large amount of your personal and financial information.
The Department of Human Services has posted a warning about the scam on its Facebook Page:
If you receive one of these scam text messages, do not follow any links that it contains and do not reply. Just delete it.
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