Scammers fleece Aussies of almost $250m in three months
Australians have lost almost a quarter of a billion dollars in the first three months of 2026; biggest losses.
Scammers duped Australians out of $248.3 million during the period, according to 60,657 reports received by Scamwatch and ReportCyber.
But the number of fraud reports and losses decreased by about one-sixth compared to the same three months in 2025; It’s a sign that the efforts of governments, regulators, industry and police are working.
“However, we caution against making too much use of a quarter of the data, as reports and losses often vary somewhat,” the consumer watchdog that oversees Scamwatch said in a statement.
“We will continue to monitor closely to see if this quarter’s data represents the beginning of a trend.”
Investment scams accounted for the largest loss Scamwatch reported in the first quarter, at $45.5 million.
Phishing scams remained one of the most frequently reported scams, with more than 13,400 reports during the period, as relationship fraud losses rose to $7.5 million.
Email remains the most common method used by scammers to trap their victims.
Australians lost $2.2 billion due to fraud in 2025, down from a peak of $3.1 billion in 2022.
Illustrating the scale of the problem, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s National Anti-Fraud Center disrupted thousands of fraudulent operations during the quarter.
They took down almost 5,900 scam sites, including 1,960 fake online gambling or scam websites.
“Online platforms give fraudsters the opportunity to reach large numbers of people quickly, cheaply and convincingly,” said commission deputy chair Catriona Lowe.
“Blocking scam websites is one way to make it harder for criminals to reach Australians online.”
The Anti-Fraud Center also referred 511 ads, profiles and groups on Facebook to platform owner Meta for review.
Scammers are increasingly using polished, professional-looking content to appear legitimate.
“Consumers should be wary if a website or ad creates urgency, promises high returns, or asks for upfront payment or personal information,” Ms. Lowe said.
People should always pause before sharing personal information and be wary of high-pressure situations.
“Say no, hang up or delete suspicious messages,” the guard said.
“Contact the person or organization directly using the phone numbers or email addresses you find on the official website or app.”
People should contact their bank immediately if they think they have lost money or shared their financial information.
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE CHEATED
*Contact IDCARE (www.idcare.org or call 1800 595 160) if you would like support to recover – they can help you put together a plan to mitigate the damage
* Report to Scamwatch (www.scamwatch.gov.au) to help protect others
* Report to the police (www.cyber.gov.au)
* If you think passwords and security details have been compromised, change them
* Monitor your bank statements and credit reports for unusual activity
* Report the scam to the pretend organization and platform where the fraud occurred
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
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