The Gen Q3 2025 Threat Report shows how cybercrime is evolving fast — and AI is driving much of it. From July to September, Gen recorded a surge in phishing, scams, and data breaches across the globe, with Australia facing some of the sharpest increases.
Over 140,000 AI-generated phishing sites were detected, with scammers building brand look-alike pages in minutes. These “VibeScams” mimic trusted companies to trick users into sharing personal or payment details. Gen also blocked around 37 million digital fingerprinting attempts each month, protecting users from being tracked online without cookies.
In Australia, the picture is concerning. Invoice scams jumped 1,264%, while tech support scams rose 60% and dating scams 24%. Infostealer malware activity increased by 58%, targeting personal and financial data. Fake scan tactics also grew by 40%, showing how criminals exploit curiosity to breach defences.
Data breaches rose 82% in Q3, shifting towards “quality over quantity.” Most now involve passwords, making account takeovers and identity fraud easier. Text scams also grew smarter, using AI to write convincing messages that lead to fake job offers, refunds, or tax alerts.
Siggi Stefnisson, Cyber Safety CTO at Gen, says AI has “changed the scale and speed of cybercrime.” Yet, Gen is using AI to fight back — powering protection tools in Norton and Avast that help Australians stay one step ahead.
To read the full Gen Q3 2025 Threat Report, visit gendigital.com.
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