Labor minister Anne Aly's WhatsApp hacked via scam link
Federal minister Anne Aly's WhatsApp account was compromised after she clicked a fake link disguised as a message from a trusted contact.
Anne Aly, Labor's minister for multicultural affairs and small business, clicked a WhatsApp link that appeared to come from a trusted contact. The link redirected to a fake dancing competition page.
Anne Aly's account was then compromised and fraudulent messages were sent to her contacts. The messages asked them to vote for a child in a competition.
People who accessed the same link were also hacked. Aly reported the incident to authorities immediately.
Independent MP Zali Steggall faced a similar attack in March. The Australian Signals Directorate warned in October that malicious actors are using AI to make phishing messages seem more real.
They target people with access to sensitive information.
- Nora
- Child named in scam
- Zali Steggall, March 2026
- Similar attack on independent MP
- October 2026
- ASD phishing warning
Why it mattersSophisticated scams now target senior officials, showing that even strong security practices can fail when a trusted person appears to share a link.
AustraliaAustralian business leaders and officials should assume no WhatsApp message, even from known contacts, is safe without direct verification through another channel.
