As part of Australia’s Cyber Security Awareness Month, the National Office of Cyber Security (NOCS) hosted a “Simple Steps, Safer Business” webinar on 27 October 2025 targeting small enterprises, many of which rely on temporary-visa holders. Presenters revealed a 38 % jump in phishing emails imitating Department of Home Affairs correspondence, with attackers demanding bogus migration-service payments.
NOCS’ National Coordinator Michelle McGuiness urged businesses to verify domain names ending in “.gov.au” and to use the ImmiAccount secure-message centre rather than email for sensitive documents. The webinar also previewed a new API that will let accounting-software providers cross-check visa work-rights in real time, slated for beta testing in February 2026.
Case studies showed how a Melbourne café lost AUD 14,000 after paying a fraudulent ‘sponsorship levy.’ The incident triggered Fair Work and Home Affairs investigations and delayed the café’s legitimate 482 nomination, costing further revenue.
Participants received a checklist covering multifactor authentication, staff cyber training and incident-response drills. NOCS plans sector-specific follow-ups, including a health-sector town hall on 30 October.
Although primarily a cyber-awareness event, the strong focus on migration-related fraud underscores the intertwined nature of global mobility and information security, particularly for SMEs that manage sponsorship obligations with limited in-house expertise.
NOCS’ National Coordinator Michelle McGuiness urged businesses to verify domain names ending in “.gov.au” and to use the ImmiAccount secure-message centre rather than email for sensitive documents. The webinar also previewed a new API that will let accounting-software providers cross-check visa work-rights in real time, slated for beta testing in February 2026.
Case studies showed how a Melbourne café lost AUD 14,000 after paying a fraudulent ‘sponsorship levy.’ The incident triggered Fair Work and Home Affairs investigations and delayed the café’s legitimate 482 nomination, costing further revenue.
Participants received a checklist covering multifactor authentication, staff cyber training and incident-response drills. NOCS plans sector-specific follow-ups, including a health-sector town hall on 30 October.
Although primarily a cyber-awareness event, the strong focus on migration-related fraud underscores the intertwined nature of global mobility and information security, particularly for SMEs that manage sponsorship obligations with limited in-house expertise.
