Report and recover from identity theft

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.