Over a third of Australians are contacted by phone and text scammers each week

Vodafone has released a report today detailing common ways Aussies are being swindled. The SOS (State of Scams) Report illustrates a breakdown of the frequency, losses, and types of scams affecting Australians.

On average, more than a third of Aussies are contacted by a scammer at least once a week. Around 58% of these scams involve the fraudster trying to coax out personal information. 

A shocking amount of Aussies are being targeted as part of SMS and phone scams, with the report finding that 82% of Australians have been targeted by SMS scams and 74% by phone scams.

While Vodafone’s security systems have blocked more than 38.8 million scam texts and almost 6 million scam calls since the beginning of 2023, they acknowledge there are still scammers that slip through the cracks. 

_{Vodafone National breakdown of the State of Scams Report. Image: Vodafone}

The report also shows that the most common financial loss from scammers was between $10 and $49. While this doesn't seem like a lot, a whopping 44% of Aussies have reportedly been affected. Around 2.9 million Aussies had handed over between $50 and $99, and approximately 4 million Aussies lost over $10,000 to scammers. 

While some scams are more obvious than others, it's clear through these findings that scams don't have to be elaborate, thought-out schemes for somebody’s life savings. They target people from all walks of life, for any certain amount of money. 

“It doesn't matter where you come from or your generation, fraudsters sending scam SMS and making scam calls are defrauding Australians every day,” said Simone Sant, Vodafone Australia General Counsel and General Manager of Corporate Security in Vodafone’s press release.

“Education and awareness are key. If you’re aware of scammers’ tactics, then you will be ready to hang up on them when they target you. That’s why the Vodafone SOS Report is so important. It lays bare the tricks, tactics and targets scammers are using to swindle cash from hard-working Australians,” Ms Sant said in her chat to SafeWise this afternoon.

To help its consumers stay safe and keep their information secure, Vodafone have developed a ‘3 S’ approach.

1. Scrutinise: Be on the lookout for unfamiliar numbers, names, and addresses.
2. Strange: Flag unusual requests for financial or personal information.
3. Seek: Seek out official numbers and websites when callers or messengers claim they are from a specific organisation or company. 

The report also found that 75% of victims do not report fraudulent activity to the relevant authorities, with a further 49% failing to report the scam to the consumer watchdog Scamwatch. If you receive a call, SMS, or email from someone that claims to be associated with Vodafone, contact them at 1300 650 410. For more information, head to Vodafone’s scam page.