Australians are being urged to exercise caution this festive season: new data shows that scams- especially online shopping and parcel-delivery scams- are surging as criminals exploit the busy holiday shopping period. The National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC), operated by Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), reports a sharp increase in scam-related losses in 2025.
Between January and September 2025, Australians filed 159,319 scam reports, resulting in a staggering $259.5 million in losses. Though the total number of reports fell by about 20 per cent compared with the same period in 2024, total losses rose by 16 per cent.
Online shopping scams: most common and costly
Shopping scams have emerged as the most common scam type involving financial loss so far this year. Out of 19,662 total scam incidents classified as “shopping scams”, 9,628 resulted in losses, amounting to $8.6 million, a 19% increase compared with 2024.
Scammers are increasingly using fake websites, fraudulent ads, bogus social media pages, or impersonated mobile apps to lure unsuspecting customers with “too good to be true” discounts, especially around major sale events such as Black Friday, which blends into the run-up to Christmas.
These “ghost stores” often mimic legitimate retailers (sometimes even using stolen logos or fake Australian details) but once you pay, you never receive the goods. Alternatively, you might get counterfeit or substandard items instead of the ones advertised.
Parcel scams and delivery-based fraud
Beyond fake stores, scammers are also exploiting the surge in parcel deliveries around Christmas to launch scams involving delivery notifications, phishing messages, or bogus courier-service links. For instance, some scammers send fake “delivery failure” texts or emails prompting recipients to click a link and pay a re-delivery or “customs/import fee”, but those links lead to phishing websites designed to steal payment information.
These scams can also target sellers- for example on second-hand marketplaces- where fraudsters pose as buyers and send QR codes or links purportedly from a courier requesting extra postage or payment. Once the user follows the link, scammers harvest banking or personal data. As delivery companies such as Australia Post handle record numbers of parcels over the holiday period, warnings about “porch pirates” and fake courier scams are mounting.
New tactics: AI-powered scams and “ghost stores”
It’s not just the volume of scams that’s growing, the complexity and sophistication of scams are rising too. According to a 2024 holiday shopping scams study by McAfee, Australians are increasingly concerned about scams leveraging AI-powered tools and deepfake-style content to make phishing messages and fake websites more believable.
The McAfee study found that more than 1 in 5 Australians said they were victims of a holiday-season online scam; among those, 60% lost money. Over a quarter of those lost more than $500, and 1 in 10 lost over $2,500.
Such scams often rely on urgent-sounding language (“limited-time deals”, “your parcel failed delivery, click to pay”), making it harder for shoppers to distinguish fake from real. The rise of “ghost stores” – completely fake retailers appearing during Black Friday/Christmas sales – is especially worrying.
Who’s being targeted, and why
Scammers are casting a wide net. Fake websites, social-media ads, and suspicious mobile apps remain their favourite entry point, responsible for nearly 47 % of total scam losses in 2025. Vulnerable groups, including people with a disability, people for whom English is a second language, and First Nations Australians, have reportedly been disproportionately affected, with increases of 12%, 35% and 50% respectively this year.
Scammers exploit not just naivety but also the holiday rush, with shoppers pressed for time, chasing discounts, and more likely to click links, pay advance postage, or accept “too-good-to-be-true” deals.
What to watch out for, and how to protect yourself
Authorities such as ACCC and agencies like the Australian Federal Police (AFP) are urging shoppers to adopt a “Stop. Check. Protect.” mindset.
Stop – take time before clicking links in emails or texts, especially those claiming to be delivery notices or “Black Friday” deals.
Check – verify that a retailer is legitimate (look for reviews, Australian Business Number, contact details, genuine domain names), and examine the URL for “HTTPS”, spelling mistakes or odd domains. Fake “ghost stores” often use stolen branding or AI-generated images to look real.
Protect – avoid paying by direct bank transfer or cryptocurrency, prefer secure payment methods such as credit cards or reputable payment gateways, and never give personal or financial data in response to unsolicited messages. If you’re expecting a parcel, track deliveries through the official courier app instead of clicking suspicious links.
A season of deals… but also danger
The holiday season, with its surge in online shopping, discounts, and parcel deliveries, provides a fertile environment for scammers, and the data for 2025 shows the consequences: hundreds of millions in losses, thousands of victims, and increasingly sophisticated tactics.
As shoppers hunt for bargains on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and through to Christmas, the warning from ACCC is clear, treat every deal and delivery notice with caution; a few minutes of vigilance now can save hundreds or thousands later.
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