Protect your identity: don’t post an assessment letter online

It's understandable that you may want to share your moment with people you know via social media. But, when you post pictures of your outcome letter, what you’re doing is giving a cyber-criminal an opportunity to steal your identity.

According to the Australian Government’s Cyber Security Centre, identity theft occurs when someone steals your personal information and uses it to commit a crime, such as stealing from your bank accounts or getting loans and benefits in your name.

The Government’s cyber security website advises you to think carefully about what what you share online, saying that once something is posted, it can almost impossible to delete.

The more cyber criminals can find out about you, the easier it is for them to impersonate you. They can set up false social media accounts claiming to be you and apply for credit cards, government benefits and official documents in your name.

Once your identity has been stolen it can be difficult to recover and you may have problems for years to come, warns the Centre.

Criminals may also use the image that you post to create fake, duplicate outcome letters.

Post smiles, not your outcome letters, and stay safe online.