How to Spot Fake Australian Government Grant and Business Support Scams Targeting Small Businesses

Scams & Phishing KB-853

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How to Spot Fake Australian Government Grant and Business Support Scams Targeting Small Businesses. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

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Common Causes

Australian small businesses are frequently targeted by scammers posing as government officials or grant administrators. These fraudsters use fake emails, phone calls, and websites to trick business owners into providing personal details, banking information, or upfront fees for grants that do not exist. Learning how to identify these scams is essential to protecting your business finances and sensitive data.

Recognise the Warning Signs

Scam messages often share common characteristics. If you receive an unsolicited offer about government funding, look for these red flags:

Requests for payment upfront to "process" or "release" a grant
Pressure to act immediately or the offer will expire
Generic greetings such as "Dear Business Owner" instead of your business name
Spelling and grammatical errors in official-looking documents
Sender email addresses that do not match official government domains
Requests for personal or banking details via email or SMS
Links to websites that look similar to government sites but have unusual URLs

Verify Legitimate Government Programs

Before responding to any grant offer, confirm the program is real through official channels:

Visit business.gov.au to search for current Australian Government grants and support programs.
Check australia.gov.au for official government announcements and services.
Use the Australian Business Register (abr.gov.au) to verify the identity of any organisation claiming to represent the government.
Contact the relevant government department directly using contact details found on their official website—not details provided in the suspicious message.

Legitimate Australian government grants never require you to pay a fee upfront to receive funding. If you are asked to transfer money to claim a grant, it is a scam.

Protect Your Business Information

Take these steps to reduce the risk of falling victim to grant and support scams:

Never share your myGov, myTax, or Australian Business Register login credentials with anyone.
Do not provide Tax File Numbers, ABN details, or banking information in response to unsolicited emails or calls.
Verify the sender's email address carefully. Scammers often use addresses that look similar to real ones but contain small differences.
Avoid clicking links or downloading attachments from unexpected messages claiming to be from government agencies.
Ensure your business devices have updated security software and operating systems.

If you suspect you have provided financial details to a scammer, contact your bank immediately. You should also report the incident to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au.

Report Suspected Scams

Reporting scams helps protect other Australian businesses. You can report suspicious grant offers or government impersonation scams to:

Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au)—run by the ACCC
ReportCyber (cyber.gov.au)—for cybercrime and online fraud
Australian Taxation Office (ato.gov.au)—if the scam impersonates the ATO

If you need assistance securing your business systems or reviewing a suspicious message, Open a Ticket with 220 Internet Services support.

Still Having Issues?

Need more help? If the issue persists after trying these steps, please open a support ticket and our team will assist you.

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