As cost-of-living pressures continue to bite, scammers are capitalising on financial vulnerability and shifting tactics, by adopting new applications and using increasingly sophisticated, AI-enhanced messages to catch Australians off guard.
Despite scammers continuing to evolve their approach, data reveals Australians’ vigilance in reporting scams is paying off.
According to the most recent National Anti-Scam Centre’s Targeting Scams report, scam losses have fallen by more than 25% year on year, with combined reports also down by over 17%.
Additionally, in the 2024/25 Telstra successfully blocked nearly double the number of suspicious phone calls compared to the year before.
Aussies remain on high alert, with recent Telstra data showing a 13% year-on-year increase in reports of potentially unwanted or suspicious messages via its reporting channels.
With Telstra’s Cleaner Pipes program blocking an average of over 8 million scam SMS messages a month, scammers are being forced to pivot potential victims to legitimate but more difficult to trace communication methods including over-the-top (OTT) messaging services such as WhatsApp or device manufacturers’ own messaging apps, where telcos have limited visibility and control over such communication.
Scammers are also taking advantage of financial pressures through recruitment lure scams, which prey on people looking for extra income, offering fake opportunities that seem legitimate.
Image: https://pixabay.com/photos/scam-scrabble-tiles-blocks-fraud-9468014/
