AUSTRALIA | The National Anti-Scam Centre has pushed for more awareness as financial scams have climbed AUD 175 million more than last year.
Australians reported more than 108,000 scams and financial losses of about AUD 175 million to the National Anti-Scam Centre’s Scamwatch service in the first half of 2025, with fake websites, online advertisements, and contact through social media being criminals’ preferred methods of reaching people.
This Scams Awareness Week (25-29 August), the National Anti-Scam Centre is joining together with government, business, community groups, consumer protection groups, educational organisations and individuals to reinforce the three simple actions that can help protect Australians: ‘Stop. Check. Protect’ before clicking, sharing, or paying.
It comes as Scamwatch received 108,305 reports about scams in the first six months of 2025, which is a 24 percent decrease in reports compared to the same period last year. While the total number of reports are down, reports involving losses have increased significantly.
The AUD 174.8 million reported lost is a 26 percent increase compared to the first half of 2024. There has been a 40.5 percent increase in reports involving losses and this is higher for some demographic groups: about 44 percent among individuals who speak English as a second language, and 55.3 percent for First Nations Australians compared to the same period in 2024.
The 2025 losses still represent but a 39 percent decrease compared to the equivalent period in 2023. Financial losses to scams peaked in 2022 and early 2023. The average reported loss was AUD 12,212, a decrease of about 10 percent.
Losses to phishing scams were AUD 19.5 million in 2025, driven in part by a rise in cryptocurrency impersonation scams. 14,235 reports involved losses to crypto scams. These scams closely mirror bank impersonation tactics and have resulted in significant financial harm to victims.
“Technology is helping scammers reach more people than ever before and we see scams becoming more sophisticated and harder for people to detect,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.
“This Scams Awareness Week, we’re encouraging everyone to talk about scams, watch for the signs and remember three simple words that can help make all the difference: Stop. Check. Protect. As scams become more sophisticated, we are urging more businesses to join the NASC and share data to improve disruption capability across the ecosystem.”
Lowe said scams don’t discriminate and can affect anyone, which is why open conversations with loved ones and greater awareness are so important. Government, business and individuals all have a role to play in building a scam-aware community and reaching every group, including those who may face extra barriers to understanding or reporting scams.
The National Anti-Scam Centre has encouraged consumers to be particularly vigilant when shopping online, carefully scrutinise deals that seem too good to be true, and check websites before making a purchase.
Scamwatch received more than 6,300 reports of financial loss to shopping scams in the first half of 2025: the highest of any scam type. Scamwatch data shows that scammers achieved this by creating convincing online shopping platforms, advertising fraudulent products and luring consumers with deals that appear too good to pass up.
An individual who reported to Scamwatch lost more than AUD 11,000 to an online shopping scam involving a fake travel agent. The scammer operated a convincing website and offered a ‘free digital travel assistant’ service. After the victim made an airline booking through the website, the scammer cancelled the booking but kept the money. Attempts to contact the agent failed once the scam was revealed.
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