The Top 5 Emerging Scam Tactics of 2025

How technology is fuelling fraud and why real-time intelligence is critical

By 2025, as technology continues to advance and become increasingly accessible, scammers have begun operating with the scale and sophistication of legitimate businesses. Armed with automation, AI, and expansive digital infrastructure, they can now target thousands of victims simultaneously, across borders and platforms. Tools once considered cutting-edge, like voice cloning, deepfakes, AI-generated messages, spoofed SMS, and crypto-enabled money laundering, are now standard features in the modern fraudster’s toolkit. These technologies make scams faster to deploy, harder to detect, and disturbingly personal. The result is a new era of fraud: scalable, convincing, and deeply disruptive for individuals, businesses, and regulatory bodies alike.

We are going to focus on the 5 most harmful and sophisticated scam schemes that have been picked up by our bots and/or reported in 2025. They reveal how fraudsters operate and why real-time intelligence is more critical than ever.

1. Australia Post 'Darcula' SMS Scam

Estimated Loss: Thousands per victim
Target Audience: Online shoppers and mobile users
Region: Australia

One of the fastest-evolving SMS phishing schemes in 2025 is the so-called “Darcula” scam. Named after the dark-themed visuals used in its SMS messages, this campaign mimics Australia Post branding with high-quality visuals and seemingly legitimate delivery failure notices.

What sets this scam apart is its use of iMessage and SMS ‘rich content’ protocols to evade basic filtering systems. The messages include clickable links that lead to websites indistinguishable from the real Australia Post interface. Victims are prompted to "reconfirm" delivery details, handing over personal data, credit card numbers, and even login credentials.

Once a user clicks on one link, they become part of a network of subsequent fraudulent attempts. This scam's sophistication demonstrates the advent of a new era in phishing: it's not only plausible but also expertly executed.

2. Centrelink and ATO Threat Scams

Estimated Loss: Significant and ongoing
Target Audience: Vulnerable households, often elderly or low-income
Region: Australia

This recurring scam leverages fear and authority. Victims receive urgent calls or texts from someone claiming to be from Centrelink or the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), accusing them of unpaid taxes or overclaimed benefits.

Scammers instruct the target to make immediate payment, often via gift cards, crypto, or wire transfers, or face legal action. The intimidation is real, and for many victims, especially those with limited digital literacy or English skills, the threat is paralysing.

This scam is especially harmful because it exploits the public’s trust in government authorities, and the damage goes beyond financial loss, many victims are left feeling humiliated and emotionally deceived.

3. Fake Crypto Investment Bots

Estimated Loss: Over $10 million globally
Target Audience: Young investors, retail traders, and crypto enthusiasts
Region: Global

Fraudsters are now deploying AI-powered bots to pose as financial advisors, fund managers, or blockchain analysts. These bots operate on Telegram, Discord, Reddit, and even Instagram, claiming to represent high-yield investment programs in trending coins, NFT projects, or staking pools.

These scam bots use technical jargon, mimic influencer endorsements, and promise guaranteed returns, all supported by "algorithmic strategies". Victims are directed to send funds to anonymous wallets, with no way of recovering them once the scam bot disappears.

This scam preys on two powerful emotions: trust in automation and fear of missing out (FOMO). In an environment where legitimate crypto services also operate informally, the lines between real and fake become dangerously blurred.

4. NAB Fake Pop-Up SMS Scam

Estimated Loss: Thousands per incident
Target Audience: National Australia Bank (NAB) customers
Region: Australia

This advanced phishing attack involves push notifications disguised as NAB alerts, which appear even on locked phone screens. The scammer informs the victims that someone has accessed their account from overseas or has flagged it for suspicious activity.

These messages prompt immediate action, either by calling a fake support number or clicking a malicious link. A scammer impersonating a bank officer then walks victims through a script, harvesting login credentials and resetting access to drain funds.

What makes this scam particularly effective is its use of trust-building tactics, such as verifying account numbers or referencing legitimate transactions to make the call seem real. This illustrates the ability of scammers to navigate between social engineering and technological sophistication.

5. "Hi Mum" Text Scam Resurgence (Voice Note Edition)

Estimated Loss: Millions in 2025 alone
Target Audience: Parents, especially older adults
Region: Australia

In 2025, the infamous "Hi Mum" scam has resurfaced, enhanced by AI voice cloning. Scammers begin with a simple message: “Hi Mum, I lost my phone, this is my new number.” Once they establish a rapport, they intensify the scam by using voice notes that remarkably resemble the victim's child.

These messages often include emotional language or time-sensitive requests for help, like needing funds to pay a bill, secure a flight, or escape a legal issue. Victims are often Many people are drawn in by the emotional familiarity, and they only realise that they have been deceived when it is too late.

Why Real-Time Intelligence is Non-Negotiable

What ties these scams together is a shift in philosophy: fraud is now agile, distributed, and hyper-personalised.

At Apate.AI, we’re not just monitoring fraud trends—we’re inside them. Our AI-powered voice and text bots are experiencing these scams on a day-to-day basis. Engaging scammers in realistic conversations. We have thousands of bot personas who simulate real victims, waste scammers' time, and extract unmatched intelligence from their scripts, tactics, fraudulent accounts, the organisations they mention, and emerging techniques.

We’re often the first to know when new scam typologies pop up, so please be on the lookout for our updates. We’re building a real-time intelligence platform that not only fights fraud but dismantles the very systems scammers rely on.

Curious about the real-time intelligence our bots uncover? Book a demo today.

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