The NSW Government’s nation-leading unit for support in the face of identity crime is encouraging people across the State to use stronger passwords that would take identity thieves trillions of years to break.  

Astoundingly, around 1 in 15 people become victims of identity fraud so the likelihood of it becoming you or someone you know is increasing. 

Consumers reported over $588 million lost to coronavirus scams and identity fraud since January 2020 with 2.1 million Australians (11%) experiencing one or more types of personal fraud in 2020-21. 

Scamming innocent members of the public has become a major industry and we are being urged to guard ourselves against their relentless – and costly – efforts to 'steal' our identities. 

Government impersonation scams are on the rise with over $1.26 million lost and 443 reports of scams involving Australian Federal Police impersonations with losses over $176,000. 

Victims of identity theft can lose an average of $4,000 from compromised documents. 

In 2019 a special unit - ID Support NSW – was established to assist customers if their government proof of identity credentials are stolen or fraudulently obtained. 

Government proof of Identity documents include things like NSW driver licences, birth certificates, Working with Children Check and NSW Seniors card. 

Chief Information and Digital Officer Greg Wells said ID Support NSW was reminding customers they can keep their personal information secure by making passwords harder to crack.  

“While we are a modern and customer centric government committed to making life easier for the people of NSW, we are also supportive of making life harder for hackers,” Mr Wells said.  

“A hacker can break a password in just two seconds if it is seven characters long and doesn’t use any numbers or special characters, while a password which is 18 characters long and uses a mix of numbers, symbols, upper and lower-case letters would take 438 trillion years to break.  

“By simply making a password longer and adding more numbers and special characters, a person can greatly improve the protection of their most important information including emails, bank accounts and social media accounts.”  

What is identity theft?

Identity theft is a type of fraud that involves the use of someone's personal information.   

Identity theft can occur online or offline or a combination of both. Common credentials targeted include driver licences, passports, Medicare cards and bank account details.  

If your identity has been compromised some of the common signs are that mail stops arriving at your address, items appear on bank/credit card statements you don’t recognise or you receive bills, invoices or receipts addressed to you for goods or services you haven’t asked for. 

Tips to help keep your identity safe 

Online 

• do not open suspicious texts or emails 
• never send money, give credit card or online account details or copies of personal documents to anyone you don’t know or trust - and never by email 
• choose passwords that are difficult and update them regularly.  
• secure your networks and devices with antivirus software and a good firewall.  

Offline  

• secure your personal documents at home and when travelling.  
• put a lock on your mailbox and destroy any documents containing personal information not required.  
• be cautious about requests for your personal information over the phone and in person.  
• order a free copy of your credit report from a credit reporting agency annually.  
• regularly check your bank and superannuation statements.  
• be curious about where your information goes that is collected by organisations – you have a right to know how it is used.    

 First line of defence

NSW Chief Information and Digital Officer Greg Wells said people should update passwords every few months, never share the password and refrain from sharing personal information which could be used to answer security questions. 

“Sharing stories about your first car ‘Betty the Barina’ for social media quizzes may seem innocent enough but these questions are designed to capture common answers to security questions,” Mr Wells said.  

“Passwords are the first line of defence against cyber criminals but unfortunately they are too often overlooked.  

“Security breaches and cybercrimes are becoming increasingly more sophisticated, costing Australian’s millions in damages and hours spent remediating their identity.  

“ID Support NSW will be there for victims of identity crime when they are seeking help to recover Government documents such as their driver licence and birth certificate, but effortless changes like making your password more complex may protect you from ever needing the service.”  

For more information about ID Support NSW visit: https://www.nsw.gov.au/id-support-nsw