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Posted: 2020-05-06 12:58:27

The Australian Federal Police are investigating attempts to defraud the Federal Government’s early access to superannuation scheme.

In a statement, the Tax Office said a small number of people appear to have had their details used illegally in a bid to scam the program.

"This has been stopped and the impacted individuals are being contacted," the statement said.

The AFP also released a statement confirming it was investigating the matter.

The scheme allows people financially affected by the coronavirus pandemic to access some of their retirement savings early.

The latest figures show more than a million people are taking up that offer.

Labor's financial services spokesman, Stephen Jones, said he understood money had been paid out fraudulently.

"We're deeply concerned," Mr Jones said.

"Labor warned at the very beginning that there was plenty of potential for fraud in this scheme.

"We were concerned that it was going to be a honey pot for fraudsters.

"Over the last week or so we'd been getting reports of people receiving texts saying their claims had been approved and they said, 'Well, I haven't made a claim, how can anything be approved?'."

Mr Jones said Labor would demand an explanation when the COVID-19 Senate committee resumed on Thursday morning.

"The members of the fund deserve to know what's going on," he said.

Mr Jones said the breach could also dent confidence in the Government's coronavirus tracing app, COVIDSafe.

The Treasurer Josh Frydenberg's office has been contacted for a comment.

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