Smishing stories

Young Australians lose over AUD $2.2 million as fake flexible job offers surge, with scammers recruiting money mules via texts and social media.

McAfee warns Australians AI-powered romance scams are surging ahead of Valentine’s Day, with one in seven victims losing an average AUD $780.

Avast rolls out Deepfake Guard for Windows and expands Scam Guardian on mobile, promising real-time protection from AI-powered scams.

Daon warns viral ChatGPT caricature craze is handing fraudsters a richer dossier of personal data to fuel scams and social engineering.

Cyber experts warn Valentine’s Day brings a surge in romance and shopping scams, urging users to be wary of links, apps and payment requests.

Australians are being warned to sharpen digital habits as AI‑driven phishing and social engineering outpace traditional cyber defences.

Indosat’s AI spam shield blocked 2bn risky contacts in six months, averting scam losses of about USD $500m for Indonesian users.

Avast rolls out Deepfake Guard for Windows and takes Scam Guardian global on mobile in a push to combat rising video-led fraud.

Gen Z click on phishing links nearly three times more than Baby Boomers, despite heavier use of multi-factor authentication, Yubico finds.

KnowBe4 marks a decade of its AIDA security AI, now running seven agents for 70,000 clients, and appoints Harlan Parrott VP of AI Innovation.

AI-fuelled automation drove a 70% surge in weekly cyber attacks in 2025, with nearly 2,000 incidents per organisation, Check Point warns.

McAfee boosts its Scam Detector with instant QR checks and smarter message scanning to counter a surge in personal, AI-powered frauds.

Microsoft again tops global phishing brand list as attackers increasingly mimic big tech services to steal cloud and consumer credentials.

Australians greatly overestimate their ability to spot AI-driven scam images, with new research showing they get it right less than half the time.

AI-powered ‘Truman Show’ scam uses OPCOPRO app and fake trading rooms in official stores to steal cash and victims’ digital identities.

AI-fuelled deepfakes and tailored social scams will drive a surge in mobile cyber threats by 2026, forcing firms to rethink security.

Cyber Weekend spending of AUD $6.8 billion shows retail’s strength, but AI-powered scams mean cyber readiness is now a peak-season necessity.

Festive-season cyber fraud is surging across India, with Karnataka alone reporting losses above INR ₹2,000 crores, experts warn.

Softonic issues festive-season guide warning of rising scams in fake shops, apps and delivery messages as online bargain hunting surges.

UTS has developed CASPER AI, an assistant using AI to detect cyber threats and guide users and organisations in secure, compliant responses.