This page covers how to protect yourself against identity theft and what to do if your passport is subject to a data breach or scam.
Identity theft is when someone tries to steal and use your personal information. Your passport contains key identity information, including your:
full name
date of birth
passport number and details.
Criminals may be able to use this information to help them commit identity fraud.
Protecting your identity
To help keep the information in your passport safe:
never share photos of your passport online
only disclose passport information to trusted organisations that legitimately need it
store your passport in a safe, secure place
add multi-factor authentication (MFA) to your AusPassport account.
If an organisation requests your passport information, it's okay to ask what they intend to do with it. Once you share any identity information, you lose control of it. This includes:
If your passport is used for identity theft, you may be eligible for a Commonwealth Victims’ Certificate(Opens in a new tab/window). This certificate may be helpful if you're a victim of a Commonwealth identity crime and the theft causes problems in your business or personal affairs.
A Commonwealth identity crime is where:
someone makes, supplies or uses your identity information
there's an intention either they or someone else will use that information to pretend to be you
the act of pretending is done to commit or help commit a Commonwealth indictable offence.
For more information on what to do if your identity is compromised, visit:
One way criminals may get your personal information is through a data breach. A data breach is when personal information is accessed or disclosed without authorisation. If this happens, it's natural to be concerned about identity theft.
We use robust controls like facial recognition technology, which means no one else can use your travel document for travel purposes. Your passport number can't be used by someone else to get a new passport. But if your passport information is subject to a data breach, you're still at risk from other types of identity fraud.
Using your passport after a data breach
If your passport is involved in a data breach, you have 3 options.
1. You can continue using your passport as it's valid for travel.
2. You can apply to either:
replace your passport if it has more than 2 years' validity remaining (you may be eligible for a reduced application fee)
renew your passport if it has less than 2 years' validity remaining, and pay the relevant fee.
3. You can request that we cancel your passport immediately by contacting us.
If we cancel your passport, you won’t be able to use it in connection with travel or identification. When you're ready to apply for a new passport, you'll need to complete a full application and pay the relevant fee.
If you apply to replace your passport, it will generally be cancelled when you lodge your passport application. This means you won’t be able to use it in connection with travel or identification. Any remaining validity will not carry over to your new passport. Your new passport will be valid from the date it’s issued.
Travelling internationally
It's still safe to use your passport to travel internationally after a data breach. Nobody can use your details to travel under your identity. They would need your physical passport to do this.
But if your physical passport has been lost or stolen, you must contact us so we can cancel it. This protects it against misuse.
Verifying your identity
In many cases, you can still use your physical passport to verify your identity in person after a data breach.
Government departments and financial organisations like banks verify identity documents through the Document Verification Service(Opens in a new tab/window) (DVS). These organisations might need to check your identity documents if you apply for a welfare payment or a bank loan.
Another way that criminals may be able to get your personal information is through a scam. Scams are techniques that trick you into handing over money or personal information.
Scammers can use different channels to contact you, including phone calls, text messages or emails. They might pretend to be from a trusted government agency, like the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
A scam can look genuine, and it can be difficult to tell that it's fake. A scammer may ask for your personal information, or tell you to:
click on a link or attachment in an email or text message
provide identity information or upload an identity document
Anyone can be a victim of a scam or identity theft. If you think someone has scammed you, or your identity has been compromised or misused, act quickly to limit the damage.
