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Scam nation: Top 5 way Aussies were fooled this year

NAB has revealed the top five scams that fooled their customers in 2022.

Eliza Bavin
·Personal Finance Editor
Updated ·2-min read
A composite image of a person holding Australian money and a woman looking stressed to represent someone being scammed.
Aussies have lost a record amount of money to scams this year. (Source: Getty)

So far this year Aussies have lost more than $526 million to scams, and that’s just what people willingly reported.

Remote access and investment scams topped the list of the most reported scams targeting Australians in 2022, with NAB warning Aussies to remain vigilant over the festive period.

According to NAB data, the top five scams of 2022 (by number of reported cases) were:

  1. Remote access scams

  2. Investment scams

  3. Business email scams

  4. Romance scams

  5. Phone phishing scams (often using ‘spoofed’ numbers)

NAB executive group investigations & fraud Chris Sheehan said, with Christmas approaching, now was not the time to let your guard down.

“Heading into the holiday season, we urge all Australians to remain alert to scammers,” Sheehan said.

“At this time of year, many people are purchasing presents online, waiting for parcels and often sending and receiving payments as gifts, and scammers know this and can make anyone their target.”

Sheehan said scammers were directly targeting people through texts, emails, phone calls and computer messages.

“Scammers are sophisticated and constantly developing new ways to steal your details and hard-earned money, so while the bank is working hard to keep people safe, the best defence is being educated and alert,” Sheehan said.

“Each year we invest millions of dollars into technology and expertise to prevent scams and protect our customers, and we are working with the Australian Federal Police and other partners to do more, particularly around education.”

Sheehan urged Australians to never click a link, pay immediately for something, or provide personal and banking information.

“Once the money or your details are handed over to criminals, they usually cannot be recovered,” Sheehan said.

“If you’re unsure something is legitimate, stop, think about your options and protect yourself by running extra checks on the caller or sender before you respond. Your money is safe while it is in your account.”

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