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What a scam is
A scam is an illegal trick. Scams usually try to get money illegally from people. A scam is a type of fraud.
Scams target people of all backgrounds, ages and income levels across Australia. All of us may be vulnerable to a scam at some time.
What a scam is like
Recognising a scam
It is important to know what a scam is, and the different types of scams, so you can recognise one.
Scams happen because they look like the real thing and catch you off guard when you’re not expecting it.
Scammers are getting smarter. They take advantage of new technology, new products or services and major events to create believable stories to convince you to give them your money or personal information.
Types of scams
There are different types of scams. These include:
Pretending to be someone else
This scam is common. The scammer will pretend to be someone you can trust. They might say they are from a government department or a business that you know.
Participants have reported receiving calls from scammers pretending to be us. The scammers will usually claim there is a debt against your plan and that you will lose access to the NDIS if you don’t provide them with personal information. This includes bank details, addresses and Medicare details. They may also ask you to repay these ‘debts’.
We will never call you and threaten to cancel your access to the NDIS because of a debt.
Sending a fake invoice
Sometimes a scammer will send an email with a fake invoice. These emails can look real. But they will ask you to pay money into a different bank account.
You should call your provider and ask them if they sent the email, if you get one. If they didn’t, you should report it to us.
Trying to get your private information
Sometimes a scammer will try to get your personal information. This could include your log in details for your online bank account, your credit card information or other passwords.
They can do this by sending a fake email with a link. If you click the link or open a document, a virus or malware can start to collect your personal information and data.
These scams often impersonate government departments including the us at the NDIA, Department of Health, Services Australia and the Australian Taxation Office.
Pretending to be a charity
Some scammers will contact you via phone, mail, email or face-to-face and pretend to be a charity. Often these messages will look like the real thing, but then they will ask you to click on a link, make a payment or provide personal information.
Before you donate to any charity you should always check if they are registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission Charity Register .
Pretending to be someone else and using your plan
A scammer might steal your information and use your NDIS funding.
What to do if you think you’ve been scammed
The ACCC provides information to Australians about how to recognise, avoid and report scams. To report a scam to the ACCC visit Scamwatch .
We are also here to help you.
If you suspect someone has contacted you pretending to be an NDIA employee, NDIS partner or NDIS provider, you should report it to us in the following ways:
Online
You can report any suspected scams by completing our online tip-off form.
Phone
You can call the dedicated NDIS Fraud Reporting and Scams Helpline on 1800 650 717. Our helpline is open Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm AEST.
In person
A trusted person, such as a family member, friend or nominee, your provider or my NDIS contact can report scams on your behalf.
NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
You can also report any concerns about how NDIS supports are delivered to you to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission .
Video
Learn about how to keep your information safe from scams in this video.