Scam alert – No Interest Loans Scheme

We have received reports of unauthorised social media pages containing misleading and inaccurate information about the No Interest Loans Scheme (NILS).

Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand runs the NILS program in partnership with around 140 community providers. The National Australia Bank (NAB) provides the loan capital.

What to look out for

Stay alert for signs that may help you identify a scam before it is too late.

Facebook pages may pretend to be community loan providers. These pages might appear on community groups or show up in feeds even though they are not genuine.

Scammers could use a familiar social media account or an existing ‘friend’ profile they have copied or taken over to offer you NILS loans.

Scammers may:

• use fake links and unauthorised websites
• give false information about NILS loan limits and repayments. 

NILS staff will never:

• contact you on social media. If you have contacted Good Shepherd or a community provider through the chat function, they will only provide general information
  • ask for your myGov login
  • ask you for sensitive financial information such as online banking passwords or codes
  • ask you to sign in to online banking through a link they send in text or email
  • ask you to download software
  • ask you to transfer money
  • ask you to set up a bank account with a specific provider to receive money.

If a scammer contacts you

Never click on links from social media pages or websites if you suspect a scam.

Never give anyone your personal information.

Only accept information about NILS from a trusted source. Trusted sources include the following websites:

• the Good Shepherd website(Opens external website)
• No Interest Loans (NILS) – Good Shepherd(Opens external website) for information on NILS
• No Interest Loans (NILS) for Vehicles – Good Shepherd(Opens external website) for information on NILS for Vehicles

Or via a Good Shepherd community service provider using Find a NILS Provider(Opens external website).  The NILS Provider search(Opens external website) includes provider phone numbers so you can verify it is a trusted source.

If you have been scammed

If you know or suspect you have been scammed:

• block all contact from the scammer
• call your bank and/or financial institution as soon as possible to let them know about the scam
• create new passwords
• watch for suspicious contact such as emails, phone calls, texts, or messages through social media. Do not click on any links sent to you
• monitor your bank account for unauthorised transactions.

Report it to:

• the police
• Scamwatch(Opens external website)
• the social media platform using their ad settings button, if the scam is an advertisement
• GSANZ by sending screenshots and details to communications@goodshep.org.au
• us at fraud@dss.gov.au.

More information

For the Department of Social Services, report it to fraud@dss.gov.au

Visit ScamWatch(Opens external website) and find out how to stop and avoid scams(Opens external website).

Visit the National Anti-Scam Centre(Opens external website).

Contact us through our contact form.