National Anti-Scam Centre requires continued motion this Scams Awareness Week as rip-off losses pattern up at $175M

Australians reported greater than 108,000 scams and monetary losses of about $175 million to the National Anti-Scam Centre’s Scamwatch service within the first half of 2025, with pretend web sites, on-line ads, and speak to by way of social media criminals’ most well-liked strategies of reaching folks.

This Scams Awareness Week (25-29 August), the National Anti-Scam Centre is becoming a member of along with authorities, enterprise, neighborhood teams, shopper safety teams, instructional organisations and people to strengthen the three easy actions that may assist defend Australians: ‘Stop. Check. Protect’ earlier than clicking, sharing, or paying.

It comes as Scamwatch obtained 108,305 reviews about scams within the first six months of 2025, which is a 24 per cent lower in reviews in comparison with the identical interval final 12 months. While whole variety of reviews are down, reviews involving losses have elevated considerably.

The $174.8 million reported misplaced is a 26 per cent improve in comparison with the primary half of 2024. There has been a 40.5 % improve in reviews involving losses and that is increased for some demographic teams: about 44 per cent amongst people who converse English as a second language, and 55.3 % for First Nations Australians in comparison with the identical interval in 2024.

The 2025 losses nonetheless symbolize however a 39 per cent lower in comparison with the equal interval in 2023. Financial losses to scams peaked in 2022 and early 2023. The common reported loss was $12,212 – a lower of about 10 per cent.

Losses to phishing scams have been $19.5 million in 2025, pushed partly by an increase in cryptocurrency impersonation scams. 14,235 reviews concerned losses to crypto scams. These scams carefully mirror bank impersonation tactics and have resulted in vital monetary hurt 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 mentioned.

“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.”

“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,” Ms Lowe mentioned.

The National Anti-Scam Centre encourages shoppers to be significantly vigilant when procuring on-line – rigorously scrutinise offers that appear too good to be true, and test web sites earlier than making a purchase order.

Scamwatch obtained greater than 6,300 reviews of monetary loss to procuring scams within the first half of 2025: the best of any rip-off kind. Scamwatch information exhibits that scammers achieved this by creating convincing on-line procuring platforms, promoting fraudulent merchandise and luring shoppers with offers that seem too good to go up.

An particular person who reported to Scamwatch misplaced greater than $11,000 to a web-based procuring rip-off involving a pretend journey agent. The scammer operated a convincing web site and provided a ‘free digital travel assistant’ service. After the sufferer made an airline reserving by way of the web site, the scammer cancelled the reserving however stored the cash. Attempts to contact the agent failed as soon as the rip-off was revealed.