The Department of Home Affairs has warned of an active scam where fraudsters impersonate senior officers to target visa applicants. The scammers offer to expedite visa processing in exchange for payment, according to a statement from Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke on Thursday.
Minister Burke emphasized that Home Affairs officials never ask for extra money to process visas faster. He urged anyone receiving an unexpected call to hang up immediately and call back using a publicly available number.
The department alerted the minister after detecting the scam, which involves fraudsters pretending to be departmental officials. Some have requested payment to speed up visa applications.
People who receive suspicious contact are advised to hang up, delete the email or text, and contact the Department of Home Affairs via its website. Burke also recommended using unique passphrases, keeping devices updated, and enabling multi-factor authentication.
Visa applicants can verify the authenticity of communications by checking their ImmiAccount. The minister stressed that these steps help protect against online scams.
