Half a million scam attempts hit Australia last month. Here are the four most common types

TrendLife, Trend Micro’s rebranded consumer division, detected over half a million scam attempts have hit Australia and New Zealand in April alone.

The scams themselves are different too, with a shift away from scattershot spam to surgical strikes that mimic real brands convincingly enough to fool people.

That makes them more difficult to identify for the average user. Here are some of the most common scams in Australia right now and some ways to protect yourself against them.

The scam attempts hitting Australians hardest right now

The data shows four key threat categories. Here’s what they look like and what you should watch out for.

1) Business impersonation

Business impersonation scams accounted for nearly 60 percent of all SMS scams in Australia and New Zealand in April.

Business Impersonation: What to look out for

If you receive a communication claiming there’s an issue with a business account, delivery, booking, payment, or social networking service profile, it might be a scam.

This is especially true if they pressure you to click a link or “verify” your identity urgently.

One particular scam on the rise is fake Meta or Facebook account violation emails targeting business pages and advertisement accounts.

2) Shopping scams

Online shopping scams are an ongoing issue, but they’re surprisingly effective. Merchandise and shopping scams accounted for over 51 percent of active scam URLs in Australia and New Zealand in April.

Shopping Scams: What to look out for

If you see a deal that seems too good to be true or retailers with limited contact details, poor reviews, or suspicious URLs, it’s probably a scam.

It’s best to buy from trusted retailers rather than random links you find on a social networking website.

3) Financial scams

Financial institution scams represented 8 percent of SMS scam traffic in Australia and New Zealand in Aprili. TrendLife is tracking real-world examples like fake Macquarie security update emails, PayPal transaction alert messages and Apple ID unauthorised charge scams.

Financial Scams: What to look out for

If you receive an unexpected message about “security updates,” “unauthorised charges,” or “suspicious transactions,” that ask you to follow a link, enter your login details, provide two-factor authentication codes, or call a support number, you should question it.

The best practice to verify details is to contact the organisation directly with information from a previous bill or visiting the website directly. To be safest, never click a link in an unsolicited communication.

4) Romance scams

Romance scams accounted for 25 percent of scam URLs in Australia and New Zealand in April. This is the second most common type of scam on websites behind shopping scams, and it’s not just seasonal.

Romance Scams: What to look out for

If you’re caught up in a message chain that’s escalating quickly with requests to move a conversation off platform or emergency stories that involve a request for money, you might be in a romance scam.

Fast emotional escalation and money requests are telltale signs.

How to protect yourself from scam attempts online

You can use a combination of good online habits and tools to help you stay safe online.

Habits to stay safe online

It’s best practice never to click a link in an unsolicited message – instead go directly to the official website or contact channels.

Never provide 2FA codes to anyone else, and especially if they have contacted you first.

If you see a deal that’s too good to be true, it most likely is. Online shopping scams will often provide counterfeit or low-quality products, if they ship you anything at all.

Pressure and urgency in a communication is a red flag and you should take the time to second guess messages.

Tools to stay safe online

TrendLife has great tools to help sort through communications and stop scammers in their tracks.

SMS filtering, email protection, and scam URL detection are just some of the ways TrendLife helps keep you safe from scammers.

Products like Personal Protection Suite, Security Suite, and Maximum Security help to protect your accounts, your information and your devices against online threats.

Scam attempts are everywhere, so stay safe

Scams are an ever present threat, so it’s important to think about every message you get. For more info to help protect your accounts, check out our guide on authenticators.