Scams stories

Scammers hijack Israel-Iran war headlines for classic advance-fee email cons, security researchers warn, urging users not to respond.

OpenText warns 2026 will bring an AI‑driven identity crisis, deepfake-fuelled scams and decision overload that many firms are not ready for.

SAS predicts agentic AI will run core banking by 2026, reshaping trust, fraud defences, climate risk and quantum-powered decision making.

Banks are set to embed AI deep into payment systems by 2026, slashing costs as fraud surges and pressure mounts on platforms and regulators.

Australians are reshaping Boxing Day, prioritising essentials, thrift and online safety over impulse spending amid cost-of-living strain.

AI tools and online deals help drive a 5% rise in Australian Christmas retail spending, with discount and department stores surging.

Cyber Monday shoppers face scams and cyber threats; follow 10 expert tips to safely secure your data and enjoy the season's best online deals.

Over half of Black Friday-themed spam emails are scams, with fraudsters impersonating brands like Amazon to steal personal data worldwide.

Scam rates have doubled globally, with young adults aged 18-34 twice as likely as seniors to fall victim to rising digital deception, says F-Secure.

Bitdefender reports a 63% rise in malicious Halloween spam, with scams posing as festive giveaways and retail offers to steal data or spread malware.

Google and Singapore's Cyber Security Agency renew partnership to enhance national cybersecurity with AI tools and public-private training initiatives.

Global scam attempts have surged 65% over the past year, with smishing rising tenfold as banks worldwide battle increasing fraud risks.

Norton has enhanced its Small Business service with Dark Web and Social Media Monitoring to help firms counter rising cyber threats in 2025.

Australians lost over AUD $119 million to scams in early 2025, highlighting the urgent need for collective action from individuals, businesses and government.

Cybercriminals exploit AI website builder Lovable to swiftly create phishing and scam sites, lowering barriers for digital crime, warns cybersecurity firm Proofpoint.

Task scams have cost jobseekers millions, with Trend Micro warning of a surge in frauds using fake jobs to trick victims into losing thousands of dollars.

Security firm Infoblox links the Hazy Hawk group to global subdomain hijacks via abandoned Amazon and Azure cloud services, spreading scams and malware.

Cybercriminal groups Reckless Rabbit and Ruthless Rabbit use registered domain algorithms to carry out investment scams costing US consumers USD $5.7 billion in 2024.

Google blocked over 5.1bn ads and suspended 39.2m accounts in 2024, using AI advancements to combat ad scams and protect consumers.

Bitdefender reports a dramatic rise in cybercrime targeting social media influencers, uncovering over 9,000 malicious livestreams on YouTube in 2024.