Scams are becoming harder to detect than ever, with cybercriminals now using artificial intelligence (AI) to clone voices and impersonate loved ones.
Griffith University senior lecturer Dr David Tuffley said there was a growing trend of AI-powered scams emerging.
“Specifically the deep fake voice approach where it impersonates a family member,” Dr Tuffley said.
“AI tools are pretty good these days, and they’re easily available.”
He said all a scammer needs to clone a voice is about three seconds of audio, often taken from social media.
From there, AI can replicate the voice and repeat any words or phrases it is fed – even messages impersonating someone’s child in distress.
While AI scams can be difficult to detect, Dr Tuffley said people should trust their instincts.
“People should actually use their gut feel. People are pretty good at sensing when someone is trying to take advantage of them.
“That’s not the most scientific answer, but I’m actually a great believer that it is pretty reliable.”
Most scams rely on creating what he called a “manufactured sense of urgency”.
Whether it’s a text claiming you’ve won a new iPhone if you click here in the next five minutes, or you’re in big trouble with the ATO if you don’t do this right away, Dr Tuffley said scams often followed the same theme — urgency and fear.
“When people are emotionally worked up like that, they stop thinking logically and they become easily manipulated into doing things.
“Almost without exception, the way that cyber crooks get into systems like companies or into people’s personal accounts, is this so-called ‘social engineering attack’, which is just a fancy way of saying: persuading someone to give over information.”
Another scam catching people off guard is the investment scam, often disguised as an email or SMS offering a “great investment opportunity”.
Many of these now revolve around cryptocurrencies.
Dr Tuffley said investment scams had cost Australians upwards of $200 million.
“People get drawn in by the prospect of easy money.
“But the thing is, there are a lot of cases that go unreported. The real figure is gonna be a lot, lot more.
“It is getting a lot of people seriously out of pocket.”
Another growing threat is the romance scam, where criminals form fake online relationships to gain trust – and ultimately, money.
Scammers often spend weeks or months building emotional connections before fabricating emergencies or travel costs that require “urgent” financial help.
Victims are not only left out of pocket but emotionally devastated.
Dr Tuffley said it was important to remember that if something seems too good to be true, it usually is.
If you are approached by phone or email about sensitive information such as banking details, Dr Tuffley advised visiting the official website or calling the organisation directly to confirm.
“If it is a scam, don’t ever respond to these approaches,” he said.
“Never click on links in messages or emails. That is almost without exception how the crooks get in.”
Locals unsure how to set up multi-factor authentication – account verification using two or more identity checks – should at least aim to create a strong password.
“What’s even better than a strong password is a pass phrase,” Dr Tuffley said.
“This is something I’ve used for a while – it’s a phrase of maybe 20-plus characters. A phrase that’s known to me, but not known to anyone else.
“The longer it is and the more characters are in there, the harder it is to actually crack.”
According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Australians reported more than 108,000 scams and financial losses of about $174 million in the first half of 2025, with fake websites, online advertisements, and contact through social media criminals’ preferred methods of reaching people.
“Technology is helping scammers reach more people than ever before and we see scams becoming more sophisticated and harder for people to detect,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.
“Scams don’t discriminate and can affect anyone, which is why open conversations with loved ones and greater awareness are so important.
“Government, business and individuals all have a role to play in building a scam-aware community and reaching every group, including those who may face extra barriers to understanding or reporting scams.”
