5 Scams Australians Are Likely to Face in 2026

Australians reported more than $280 million in scam losses in 2025, according to data from Scamwatch. CHOICE*, Australia’s independent, member-funded consumer advocacy organization, warns that today’s scams are no longer random or obviously fake. Instead, they’re built around real moments in everyday life: new laws, popular events, online shopping, financial uncertainty, and rapidly evolving technology.

Below are five scam patterns Australians should be especially alert to this year, and how they’re most likely to show up in practice.

How Australians are being targeted

1. Social media ban scams (not just targeting teens)

Since December 2025, platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok have restricted access for users under 16. The change has caused confusion, and according to CHOICE, scammers are already exploiting it.

Criminals pose as trusted organizations and pressure people into handing over personal details or money. Messages may claim an account will be suspended or a fine issued unless age details are “verified,” and often include links to fake websites designed to collect passwords, identity documents, or payment details.

Some scams target families directly, offering fake IDs or access to supposedly age-verified accounts to bypass the ban. Others recycle the familiar “Hi Mum” scam, with messages pretending to come from a child who’s been locked out and urgently needs help.

What to remember: legitimate social media platforms do not ask for payments, passwords, or identity documents via text messages or emails.

Related: Phishing Scams: How to Identify and Avoid Them

2. Shopping scams tied to major sales and deliveries

Shopping scams spiked in 2025, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, and big sales periods continue to be a prime opportunity for scammers. In Australia, events like End of Financial Year (EOFY) sales, Black Friday, and limited-time flash discounts are often used as cover for fake offers designed to rush people into bad decisions.

Common tactics include:

• fake online stores advertising massive discounts on popular products, which are actually set up to steal payment and personal details
• “ghost” retailers posing as local Australian businesses but shipping from overseas, sending poor-quality knock-offs, or never delivering anything at all
• scam ads on social media or search engines that look legitimate but lead to fake shopping sites

Delivery scams often follow closely behind. Messages claiming to be from courier services, including convincing copies of Australia Post, warn that a parcel is delayed or requires a small fee to be released. The links usually lead to pages designed to harvest payment details.

What to remember: unexpected links about sales or deliveries are a red flag, especially when they create urgency or pressure you to act immediately.

Related: How to Avoid Scams When Shopping for Bargains Online

3. Fake events and ticket scams

PayPal research found that around one in five Australian have missed out on an event in 2025 after paying for tickets that turned out to be fake or were never delivered.

Some of these scams involve selling tickets for concerts, sports matches, or festivals that don’t exist at all. Others revolve around real events, but the tickets being sold are counterfeit or have already been used. In September last year, for example, Western Australian authorities warned people not to buy tickets for sky lantern festivals or drone shows being promoted on social media around Perth. 

Another common red flag is the “secret event” angle, where organizers say the location or final details will only be shared shortly before the event. Sometimes, that information never arrives.

What to remember: big events in Australia usually sell tickets through authorized platforms, and resale prices are capped by law in most states. If an offer feels vague, unusually cheap, or wrapped in secrecy, it’s worth taking a step back before buying.

Related:

• Metallica and The Weeknd Fans Targeted in Fake Concert Ticket Scams, Bitdefender Labs Warns
• Ticketmaster Scams: Everything You Need to Know to Stay Safe

4. Pump-and-dump schemes

Pump-and-dump scams start with someone who has a financial stake in a little-known company or asset spreading glowing claims online — in forums, group chats, or on social media — to push the price up. Once enough people buy in, the promoters sell their own holdings and walk away. The price then drops, leaving those who followed the hype with the losses.

These scams often appear during times of economic uncertainty. Scammers use these moments to promote “can’t miss” investment opportunities, fake cheap loan offers, or to pressure people into moving money quickly.

What to remember: legitimate financial institutions don’t cold-call you about investments, create panic around your finances, or push you to act immediately.

Related: Could You Tell a Real Business Investment Ad from a Fake One?

5. AI video and voice impersonation scams

AI-powered scams are no longer limited to emails or phone calls. In one recent case, National Australia Bank stepped in to stop a customer from transferring $100,000 to someone who appeared, on a video call, to be Kevin Costner. NAB has since warned publicly that video and voice impersonation scams are becoming more realistic and they don’t just involve celebrities. They can also feature business figures or even people you know recreated using publicly available photos, videos, and audio.

What to remember: if someone asks you for money, even during a video call, pause and verify the request using a separate, trusted way of contacting them.

Related:

• How to Stop Your Elderly Dad from Sending Money to an Online Girlfriend
• They Wear Our Faces: How Scammers Are Using AI to Swindle Families

How to protect yourself

Most scams rely on rushing you or catching you off guard. Slowing down is often your best defence.

• Be cautious with unexpected messages, especially those asking for money, personal details, or urgent action. Be skeptical of secrecy — scams often insist you keep the situation confidential or act immediately.
• Stick to official sources. If a message claims to come from a company, bank, platform, or government body, don’t use the links provided. Visit the organization’s website directly or contact them using the details you’ve found yourself.
• Doing a quick search can also help. Legitimate businesses, events, and opportunities usually leave a clear online footprint. If details are hard to verify or don’t quite add up, that’s a sign to pause.
• Be realistic. Celebrities don’t ask for money. Banks don’t panic-text customers. Legitimate organizations don’t pressure you to bypass normal checks.

If you’re unsure whether a message is legitimate, Bitdefender Scamio can help you assess suspicious emails, messages, or links by explaining whether something looks like a scam and why. 

Before clicking on a link, you can also use Bitdefender Link Checker to see whether a URL is associated with phishing or fraud.

If you want to make sure you and your family are safer online,  Bitdefender Premium Security helps watch for scam attempts across emails, texts, chats, websites. It works quietly in the background, warning you in real time when something looks suspicious, so you have a chance to stop before it a turns into a problem.

Sources: choice.com.au, www.scamwatch.gov.au