Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke issued a media release late on 4 December alerting the public to an active scam in which fraudsters impersonate senior Department officials and demand extra payments to ‘fast-track’ visas . Victims are contacted by phone, email or social media and asked to provide personal data and make transfers via untraceable channels.
The Department stressed that genuine officers never solicit additional fees beyond those paid through ImmiAccount and urged applicants to hang up and verify any unexpected contact using publicly listed numbers.
![Home Affairs issues urgent warning about visa-application scam targeting would-be migrants]()
International mobility teams should circulate the alert to prospective transferees and family members offshore. Companies risk data breaches if employees inadvertently disclose passport details or employer-sponsorship information.
Burke advised migrants to use multi-factor authentication on ImmiAccount and to consult the “Act Now, Stay Secure” cyber-security guidance. Home Affairs is cooperating with the Australian Federal Police, but officials concede the scam appears to originate offshore, complicating enforcement.
The episode follows a 23 percent year-on-year rise in migration-related phishing reports, underscoring the need for robust verification protocols in corporate immigration programmes.
The Department stressed that genuine officers never solicit additional fees beyond those paid through ImmiAccount and urged applicants to hang up and verify any unexpected contact using publicly listed numbers.
International mobility teams should circulate the alert to prospective transferees and family members offshore. Companies risk data breaches if employees inadvertently disclose passport details or employer-sponsorship information.
Burke advised migrants to use multi-factor authentication on ImmiAccount and to consult the “Act Now, Stay Secure” cyber-security guidance. Home Affairs is cooperating with the Australian Federal Police, but officials concede the scam appears to originate offshore, complicating enforcement.
The episode follows a 23 percent year-on-year rise in migration-related phishing reports, underscoring the need for robust verification protocols in corporate immigration programmes.
