Urgent scam alert for seniors
Warning to avoid website that requests money for assistance with applications for government card.
Stay Safe resources
The National Seniors website offers a range of resources to help protect you against scams.
These include a downloadable Scams Protection eGuide, Cyber Safety videos produced in conjunction with the Australian Federal Police, Keep SAFE resources, and other scams awareness resources.
An illegal website that tries to charge seniors for a free government service has highlighted the need to be vigilant online.
Australians are being urged to be aware of a scam website that attempts to charge applicants a fee in exchange for a Seniors Card. The illegal website offers services to residents of South Australia, Queensland, and Victoria.
South Australian (SA) Minister for Seniors and Ageing Well, Nat Cook, has addressed this, announcing an illegal website called The Seniors Assistant that claims to specialise in “providing assistance and consultation services for several senior-related applications and processes such as the Seniors Card”.
She said seniors should be aware that the legitimate SA Seniors Card is always free of charge and applicants are never requested to pay a fee or disclose their bank, credit card, or PayPal details in exchange for membership.
Ms Cook said, “These fraudulent websites are not only deceptive, but they also heartlessly target some of the most vulnerable members of our community.”
She added, “Let me be crystal clear: applying for a Seniors Card is completely free. If someone is asking for payment, it’s a scam. If you encounter a site asking for payment, report it immediately. It’s not just wrong, it’s illegal.”
Applicants for the Seniors Card, which is issued by state and territory governments, should ensure they are accessing the correct website before applying.
Official Australian government websites always end with .gov.au. If they are state government websites, they will include the state name or its abbreviation. For example, nsw.gov.au or qld.gov.au.
The official Seniors Card web links for each state and territory are:
If you have provided payment to an unofficial website, contact your bank immediately and make a report to Scamwatch, the Australian Government’s National Anti-Scam Centre
National Seniors Australia (NSA) advises all internet users to check the veracity of all websites they visit.
For more information, visit our Keep SAFE (Secure, Alert, Fraud-Aware and Educated) website here.
