If you have fallen victim to identity theft, we're here to help. Follow our guide to secure your personal information and recover from identity theft. For steps on how to avoid it in future, learn more about identity theft.
Signs of identity theft
These are some warning signs that someone may have stolen your identity:
- You notice unusual activity on your bank statements or credit history report.
- Your identity documents are missing, such as your passport or driver licence.
- You stop getting mail at your address.
- Debt collectors contact you about purchases or loans you didn’t make.
- Government agencies contact you about benefits you didn’t apply for.
- You are notified that your details were leaked in a data breach.
To find out if your accounts are compromised, visit Have I Been Pwned. Use this secure service to check if your email address or password was leaked in a known data breach.
What to do if you fall victim to identity theft
It is crucial you act as soon as possible to secure your information and report the incident. Follow our key steps to reduce the impact of identity theft.
Report the incident
Report cybercrimes, security incidents and abuse through ReportCyber.
If the identity theft is part of a scam, report it to the National Anti-Scam Centre, Scamwatch. Your report helps disrupt scams and warn others about new and emerging scams.
Check your financial accounts for unauthorised activity. If you notice transactions that you don’t recognise, contact your bank immediately. Ask them to put a block on your accounts.
To report fraud, such as superannuation and crypto-asset scams, contact ASIC. They are the national corporate regulator of markets, financial services and credit ratings.
Change your newly issued default passwords or PINs. Update them annually or immediately following a known data breach. Make your passwords long, unpredictable and unique to help protect your personal information. Learn more about how to create strong passwords, such as passphrases.
Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) to secure your accounts. It adds an extra layer of protection making it hard for cybercriminals to gain access to your account if they know your login details.
Learn more about MFA.
For specific recovery advice, find out how to report and recover from account compromise.
Get help and advice by contacting IDCARE. They are Australia and New Zealand’s national identity and cyber support service.
You can also apply for a Commonwealth Victims’ Certificate. This certificate can support your claim that you are a victim of identity crime. It may help you re-establish your credentials with government or financial institutions.
Request a free credit report. If you don’t recognise something, dispute it. If concerned, apply for a credit ban to stop someone from opening lines of credit in your name.
Visit IDCARE’s website for more advice on credit reports and credit bans.
Cybercriminals may not use your personal information right away. Always check for unusual account activity or messages so you can act fast to reduce the damage.
To find out how to replace stolen identity documents, refer to advice for your state or territory:
- Australian Capital Territory
- New South Wales
- Northern Territory
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Queensland
- Victoria
- Western Australia
If you lose your passport or it gets stolen, you must tell the Australian Passport Office. Visit lost and stolen passports.
You can create a myID using your Australian identity documents. You can use your myID to access many online government services. To find out more, visit myID.
Need more support?
For help with all types of threats, visit our getting help page.
If you still need help, call our Australian Cyber Security Hotline on 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371).
More information
Identity theft
Learn about how identity theft can affect you and how to keep your personal information secure.
Report and recover from a data breach
A data breach occurs when sensitive or personal information is accessed, disclosed or exposed to unauthorised people.
Report and recover from account compromise
A guide to recovering your account and protecting you against future attacks.
Digital ID System
The Australian Government Digital ID System provides a way for Australians to safely and securely verify their ID online to access online services.