Australia Sees Spike in Scam Losses

Australian National Anti-Scam Center recorded a sharp increase in scams reported and financial losses in the first half of 2025. The center works with other agencies to boost awareness of users about these threats. Reported losses in H1 rose 26% year-on-year to AUD174.8 million ($113.6 million), while reports involving losses jumped 40.5%. The average reported loss was AUD12,212, down about 10% from a year earlier.

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission deputy chair Catriona Lowe explained that technology is helping scammers reach more people than ever before, and the scams are becoming more sophisticated and harder for people to detect. She added that scammers are increasingly targeting people on websites and social media, knowing they are spending more time and money online.

Losses from phishing scams totalled AUD19.5 million in the six months, driven in part by a rise in cryptocurrency impersonation scams, with 14,235 reports, or 13% of those reported, involving losses to crypto scams, the centre wrote. The National Anti-Scam Centre credited increased awareness of scam warning signs and the availability of educational resources on job scams for the rise in reports during the first half. It highlighted the importance of coordinated action, including intelligence sharing, to disrupt scam networks.