Phone scam seeking money from visa applicants
DIBP’s phone numbers are being used as part of a scam to intimidate visa applicants to pay money or face deportation. Be advised that DIBP’s general enquiry telephone numbers are not used for outbound calls. Staff from DIBP offices, including the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority will never use these numbers to phone visa applicants or agents.
Scamwatch provides more details on how to protect visa applicants against phone scams.
Protect your personal information
You should never provide your personal, credit card or online account details if you receive an unexpected email requesting these, that purports to be from the Department. Instead, you should contact the Department to verify the authenticity of the email.
Information about types of scams and how you can protect yourself is available on the Scamwatchwebsite.
Source: DIBP