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$147 million.
That’s how much money has been lost to scams in Australia in 2025 according to Scamwatch (at time of writing, September 25th). Money taken from Aussies of all stripes, ages, and genders.
If we look back at 2024, the total rises to just under $319 million.
We live in an increasingly-interconnected world, a digital age that keeps finding new ways to digitise—looking at you, AI. And with that comes the scammers trying to pry your hard-earned money out of your hands.
You’re sitting there, probably the recipient of at least 4 separate scam alert training sessions and highly proficient with the latest tech, yet you’re still in danger of falling for the next scam to come your way.
Why?
On a very basic level, scams work because they target what’s human about us and manipulate them to create the outcome they want. It’s psychological. And it’s very hard to defend against what’s natural. According to UNSW, there are 6 specific reasons we fall for scams:
These reasons often have some part to play in every successful scam out there.
So let’s run through the 10 most common scams in Australia in 2025, and lay out how you can dodge them.
To paraphrase a Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn classic “If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a phishing scam.”
Further reading: If you’re looking for a bigger fix of cybersafety, we had a great chat with Beforepay’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Rajini, on how to stay safe online.
What is phishing? The act of sending fake messages that appear to come from a legitimate source.
Warning signs:
How to avoid:
It’s time to put the info into practice. Cyber (Australian Govt) has a quiz where you can test your scam spotting skills!
What is a fake bill scam? The act of sending a fake bill or invoice from an apparently-legitimate company in the hopes you’ll pay it. Can be effective if it’s a company you’ve paid before.
Warning signs:
How to avoid:
The ACCC even reported that in 2023, $16.2 million was lost through fake invoices.
What is identity fraud? Also known as identity theft, this is the act of using someone else’s personal information without consent to obtain a benefit (e.g. money, access to sensitive data etc).
Warning signs:
Identity fraud is harder to spot before it happens but here are some signs that it may have occurred—
How to avoid:
Did you know? Beforepay recently rolled out multi-factor authentication. Check out our help article for more information.
What is an impersonation scam ? A scammer pretends to be someone they’re not or part of an organisation they’re not, in order to extract something from you.
Warning signs:
How to avoid:
And this is just the top level—scams are incredibly nuanced and complex. If you want to learn more, Macquarie Bank has laid out 5 common impersonation scams.
What is an online shopping scam? The listing of in-demand, rare, branded, or interesting items for lower-than-normal prices. Online shopping scams can also be perpetrated by fake buyers, as well as sellers.
Warning signs:
How to avoid:
What is extortion? An extortion scam is the act of threatening a harmful action (e.g. arrest, deportation, physical harm, the release of compromising material) if you do not pay up.
Warning signs:
How to avoid:
What is a romance scam? The creation of a fake persona (often online, but not always) to build up a feeling of trust, connection, or love, with the end goal of extracting a specific benefit (such as money).
Warning signs:
How to avoid:
For more information, check out this SBS Australia article (and handy podcast) on how to keep safe from romance scams.
What is a remote access scam? Being contacted by someone pretending to be from a familiar company (bank, telecom, software company etc), who is claiming they need remote access to your device.
Warning signs:
How to avoid:
What is a job scam? Providing fake job listings that offer high reward for little effort.
These are so common even the Australian Federal Police has written about it.
Warning signs:
How to avoid:
What is an investment scam? Pretending to offer an investment that promises big returns, often fast, for little or no risk.
Warning signs:
How to avoid:
For more information on investment scams, check out Moneysmart.
There we have it; 10 common scams and how to identify them. Before we close out this article, we’re going to leave you with one more note—
It’s a myth that all scams are poorly designed and easily recognisable.
There are many jokes about foreign royalty that can (often subconsciously) trick you into expecting one version of a scam, only to be hit by the many, many highly-sophisticated ones out there.
Stay vigilant. Trust your instincts. And report a scam if you suspect a scam. It helps keep everyone safer.
Further reading: Brush up on your cyber knowledge with this list of cybersecurity terms.
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