Fraud stories

Nearly 24% of Instagram posts tagged as ‘quick-money’ offers are linked to money mule recruitment, posing major challenges for law enforcement and platforms.

Australian firms face rising fraud risks as AI-driven phishing attacks exploit human error, urging stronger security culture ahead of International Fraud Awareness Week.

A survey shows 73% of shoppers use AI tools, raising new fraud risks and liability concerns for merchants during the rise of agentic commerce.

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

Deepfake scams surge worldwide, with 49% of firms hit in 2024 as public and businesses struggle to spot convincing fake videos and audio.

A New Zealand AI tool, CheckMyBuilder, helps homeowners and businesses spot risks with builders for NZD $49, using public records to flag issues before contracts.

UK retailers report a sharp rise in cyber attacks, with helpdesk scams and human error now key targets necessitating increased security training.

Cybercriminals use ultra-realistic fake Adobe Reader invoices and images with embedded malware to bypass defences, targeting German-speaking regions.

ReveNet warns APAC’s USD $55bn A2P SMS revenue faces steep decline without urgent operator action to tackle rising costs, fraud, and fragmented regulation.

Airline fraud attempts have fallen 30% globally in H1 2025, with Europe seeing a record 50% drop, marking a major shift in fraud patterns.

UK police forces have reported over 13,000 data breaches since 2022, with incidents rising yearly and causing serious risks to personal information.

Australians lost AUD $175 million to over 108,000 scams in H1 2025, as cyber threats rise amid rapid growth in digital payments and eCommerce.

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.

MoneyMe partners with SEON to boost fraud detection using advanced device intelligence and behavioural analysis amid business expansion.

Forter launches new AI agent detection tools to help retailers monitor and mitigate rising fraud and risks in agentic AI-driven digital commerce.

APAC faces a 29% rise in AI-driven cyber attacks, with 98% of risk leaders feeling unprepared to tackle the surge in fraud and tech disruptions.

Lab 1's report on 141 million breached files shows unstructured data, like financial and HR documents, greatly increase risks of fraud and cybercrime.

AI amplifies cyber threats, making human vigilance more vital than ever as companies face sophisticated phishing and deepfake attacks.

Trend Micro warns that rising deepfake and AI crimes threaten business trust, with fraudsters using synthetic media to impersonate executives and bypass security.