The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s National Anti-Scam Centre published its latest Targeting Scams Report, consolidating 2025 data across Scamwatch, ReportCyber, the Australian Financial Crimes Exchange, IDCARE and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Australians made 481,523 scam reports across the combined datasets, including 274,577 reports involving financial losses totalling AUD 2.18 billion; while reporting volumes have stabilised, losses rose 7.8% versus 2024, though remaining 29.7% below the AUD 3.1 billion peak recorded in 2022. Investment scams (AUD 837.7 million) were the largest loss category, followed by payment redirection (AUD 166.8 million), romance (AUD 139.9 million), phishing (AUD 97.6 million) and remote access scams (AUD 69.9 million), together accounting for 60% of 2025 losses. Scamwatch recorded phishing as the most reported scam type (65,361 reports), and betting and sports investment scams generated AUD 2.4 million in reported losses, alongside a 19.6% rise in reports, with increases in reporting from First Nations people (91.5%) and people with disability (93.5%). The report also points to a shift towards online channels, with online-based scams involving a loss up 31.8% and associated losses up 21%, while text message scam reports fell from 77,365 in 2024 to 29,058 in 2025; combined figures reflect adjustments to reduce duplication and remove unreliable high-loss reports. On disruption activity, the National Anti-Scam Centre reported referring more than 8,400 websites for assessment leading to the removal of over 7,500 scam URLs, escalating referrals to platforms (including over 7,000 suspected Facebook scam URLs to Meta) and to telecommunications partners (4,246 phone numbers and 921 sender IDs), and referring 8,536 Scamwatch reporters to IDCARE for recovery support. The release also notes Australia’s endorsement, alongside other G7 countries, of a Call to Action to Combat Fraud at the United Nations and Interpol Global Fraud Summit, and that the Centre issued its third fusion cell report during the month, focused on romance scams.
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission 2026-03-29
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission publishes Targeting Scams Report showing AUD 2.18 billion in scam losses in 2025
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s National Anti-Scam Centre published its 2025 Targeting Scams Report, recording 481,523 scam reports and AUD 2.18 billion in losses, up 7.8% on 2024 but 29.7% below the 2022 peak. Investment scams were the largest loss category at AUD 837.7 million, with a marked shift towards online-based scams and higher reporting from First Nations people and people with disability. The Centre highlighted expanded disruption activity, including removal of over 7,500 scam URLs, referrals to platforms and telecommunications partners, and Australia’s endorsement of an international fraud Call to Action.