More than 750,000 fraudulent identity verification requests blocked

The Albanese Government is delivering on its commitment to protect Australians from identity crime and build a safer, more trusted digital future, including by establishing the Credential Protection Register. Since its creation in 2022, the register has successfully blocked over 750,000 fraudulent identity verification requests, an average of 18,000 per month.

The register is part of the national identity verification services, which are used every day by governments and businesses to verify the identity of their customers. The register stops bad actors from misusing identity documents by preventing their unauthorised verification through the identity verification services, while ensuring they can still be used for their primary purpose. For example, blocking a passport on the register helps prevent it from being used in fraudulent loan, rental, or employment applications, while still allowing it to be used for overseas travel.

Participating Commonwealth, State, and Territory document issuers can access the register to protect their issued identity documents, respond to data breaches, help prevent identity crime, and give Australians greater control of their identity documents. The Government continues to work closely with all jurisdictions to support uptake of this important capability.

The Government has invested over $14 million to deliver enhancements to the register, including a recent upgrade allowing all participating identity document issuers to access a web portal to directly update the register in near real time to block identity documents from verification. This will be a key tool in the event of a large data breach.

Work is also underway to provide Australians with more visibility and control over their identity documents through the myGov app and website. Australians will soon be able to see when their documents are being verified and block or unblock their documents from verification. An early access launch is expected in late 2026, with the national rollout to follow.

Visit the IDMatch website for more information about the identity verification services, or the IDCARE website for tailored support and assistance with regard to scams, identity theft, and cyber treats.

Quotes attributable to the Attorney-General, Hon Michelle Rowland MP:

“We know how distressing identity crime and scams can be for those affected. That’s why the Albanese Government is implementing strong measures to ensure Australians’ identities are protected.

“The enhancements to the Credential Protection Register are a key initiative under the National Strategy for Identity Resilience to strengthen the security, transparency and recoverability of Australian identity documents.

“Since 2022, the register has blocked over 750,000 fraudulent identity verification requests, saving Australians money, stress, and time.

“Later this year, we will be trialling a new service in myGov, allowing Australians to block or unblock their documents from verification with just a few taps on their phone, giving them more visibility and control over their identity documents.”