Telstra data exposes scammers trick to swindle Aussies

Scammers are more likely to target innocent Aussies on Fridays and Saturdays and ply their dishonest tricks more often in the early mornings, telecommunications giant Telstra says.

The company’s cyber security safeguards blocked 11 per cent more scams on Fridays and Saturdays in 2022 and 2023, and some of the scams that had “slipped through the nets” were pushed out between 1am and 4am.

Telstra cyber security expert Darren Pauli said the early morning attacks were “no coincidence”.

“Scammers try to take advantage of lapsed Judgement,” he said.

“Whether that’s before your first cup of coffee, while you’re busy running weekend errands, or simply in relaxation mode.

“They pose as real and recognisable companies or agencies and threaten everything from cancelled car registrations through to damage to your credit report, or even legal action.

“Scammers will try to manipulate you into responding quickly before you have a chance to stop and think.

“By targeting you at these times, scammers maximise their chances of success, exploiting moments when potential victims are not fully alert.”

Mr Pauli said the company blocked 20 per cent fewer scams on Sunday compared to the weekly average.

And in a troubling development, Mr Pauli said scammers were now using AI to try and “sound like Aussies” to make their swindles more effective.

“As technology evolves, scammers also evolve their techniques and approaches,” he said.

“While we use AI to help protect our network and our customers, scammers also like to use generative AI tools to produce highly-personalised messages.

“Lately, we’ve seen scammers use AI to sound more Australian to try and trick locals into thinking they’re ‘true blue’.

Scams are also on the rise, the company said.

In 2023, reports of scams in Australia jumped up 18.5 per cent compared to 2022, according to Scamwatch’s Targeting Scams Report.

Text messaging remains a scammer’s favourite way to reach Australians, with over 109,000 reported SMS scams in 2023, a 37 per cent increase from 2022.