If in doubt about who may have contacted you or your loved one, please get in touch with us.
Dear residential aged care providers,
We are aware of scammers who are targeting older people, their carers, and their families by impersonating aged care providers. Some scammers have been stealing Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD) payments from them.
Please ask your residents and their families to be cautious of unfamiliar emails, texts, or phone calls. They may contact you to confirm bank details before making payments or to verify that a request was legitimate.
The following information will also help them protect themselves from scams:
They should always stop and check the person contacting them is legitimate before clicking on links, sharing personal details, or sending money.
If they’re unsure, they should call you using contact details from your official website.
If something feels wrong, they should stop the transaction or conversation immediately.
If they think they’ve been scammed, they should act quickly. Report the scam to local police and their bank immediately.
If you become aware that a resident or their family have been scammed, you should encourage them to report the scam to local police, ScamWatch, and ReportCyber. Reporting scams will help increase awareness and prevent future scams.
You can also direct residents and their families to the My Aged Care website for further information about spotting, avoiding, and reporting scams.
Kind regards
Department of Health and Aged Care
The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges First Nations peoples as the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to all Elders both past and present.
Department of Health and Aged Care