A Recent History of Scams
In March 2025, Scamwatch published its latest figures regarding scams and losses suffered by Australians in 2024 in its Targeting Scams report. Despite a noted $158 million decline in losses compared to 2023, Australians still lost approximately $318.8 million to scams in 2024.
This followed on the heels of an equally concerning May 2024 report from the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) which noted that remote access scams had seen a 52% uptick in activity during the first half of 2024, and had resulted in an average loss per victim of $17,943.
More Than One Type of Scam
While investment scams may be the most frequent and most financially damaging type of scam – as we covered in our Inside ASIC article – they are not the only kind that regularly takes advantage of Australians for personal profit.
Common Types of Scams
Three of the more common types of scams common in Australia are product scams, sales scams, and remote access scams.
Product Scams: Making ads or webpages for non-existent products by using the branding and designs of established businesses to sell fake products.
Sales Scams: Selling products without ever delivering the intended good – or if a good is delivered, it is a counterfeit.
Remote Access Scams: Impersonating a business via SMS or telephone call to access a user’s personal banking and security details either through the sale of fraudulent software or by obtaining remote access to their machine via a fake two-factor authentication code, screen-sharing software, etc.
Prices and Payment
If prices seem unusual, there’s a good chance something’s wrong. Examples include:
- A seller offers unusually low prices
- A buyer offers an inflated price and subsequently asks to be reimbursed for the overpaid amount with a check or electronic payment
Furthermore, if secure card payment options or established third-party services like PayPal are not offered – be on alert.
Company Information Red Flags
If certain types of information are missing or are incomplete, that is a sign the business is operating fraudulently. Examples of what to look for include:
- An incorrect ABN number
- Antiquated privacy policies
- Sparse terms and conditions
- Missing contact information
- A lack of dispute resolution options
To verify whether or not a company is real, consider using the following resources:
- ABN Lookup service
- ICANN Lookup: to locate website registration details
- Australian Domain Authority: to obtain website ownership information
If a site is relatively new, or its content is inconsistent with that of its registered owner, it’s probably a scam site.
Other Signs of Danger
Typosquatting: Beware sites that have almost but not quite the correct URL. Also known as URL hijacking or typosquatting, scam sites will use similar-looking addresses to mislead buyers by using (for example) G0ogle instead of Google in the hopes that users won’t notice.
Hijacked Advertisements: It is common to encounter hijacked ads that mimic real, existing ads to redirect users to fake websites.
How to Protect Yourself
- Know Your Services. No bank, telecom, etc., will ever ask for password information or request purchasing/installing software remotely. Hang up on anyone making such demands.
- Warn Others. Report scammer encounters to Scamwatch and the service being impersonated.
- Verify Your Services. Double- and triple-check all information using publicly available resources to ensure the price, company, and sellers are credible.
- Avoid Unknown Links. Never click on or open links in emails or text messages from unfamiliar parties or numbers. If an unfamiliar email appears, do not unsubscribe. Instead: block the email address and delete the email. Fraudulent emails will regularly use fake unsubscribe options as a phishing technique.
If You’ve Been Scammed
There are always steps that can be taken to mitigate losses if you’ve been scammed:
- Contact your bank immediately to report the scam and freeze any transactions in progress.
- Change all your passwords immediately – including any that might be similar to those used for other sites.
- Call IDCare to organise support, guidance, and a plan to minimise the damage.
- Contact Scamwatch and report the incident and all relative information regarding the incident.
Scam Support Services
Mental health and emotional support options are available, in the form of:
- financial counselling
- Medicare’s mental health plans
- support services offered by Beyond Blue and Lifeline
Scamwatch also offers a quiz users can take to test their scam sense.
Key Takeaways
Every year, Australians lose millions of dollars to scams, and many of these losses could be prevented with improved security practices, up to date scam training, and knowledge of how social engineering can be weaponised to manipulate and take advantage of others for financial gain.
