Regulators dismantled thousands of scam websites in the first three months of 2026 — and Australians still lost a quarter of a billion dollars to fraud in the same period, according to the National Anti-Scam Centre's (NASC) latest quarterly update.
Between January and March, Scamwatch received 45,816 scam reports — down 17.8% on the same period last year — with total reported losses of $76.7 million, a 17% decline. But when combined with ReportCyber data, which captures reports to law enforcement, the picture is considerably larger: a combined 60,657 reports and $248.3 million in losses, after adjusting for duplicates.
The ACCC cautioned against reading too much into a single quarter, noting that figures typically fluctuate and that one quarter does not confirm a trend.
Despite the overall decline in reports, online scams remained the dominant source of financial harm. Fake websites, social media, advertisements, and mobile apps accounted for roughly half of all Scamwatch losses during the quarter, with Australians reporting $38.3 million lost to scams that originated through online contact.
ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe (pictured) said the economics of online fraud make it an attractive channel for criminals.
"Online platforms give scammers the ability to reach large numbers of people quickly, cheaply and convincingly," Lowe said in a media release. "Disrupting scam websites is one of the ways we can make it harder for criminals to reach Australians online. The takedown of thousands of scam websites in just three months shows both the scale of scam activity online and the scale of the disruption work underway."
The NASC removed 5,834 scam websites during the quarter, including 1,960 fake online gambling sites. A further 511 Facebook advertisements, profiles, and groups were referred to Meta for investigation, and gambling scam websites were referred to Google for ad blocking across its platforms, including YouTube.
Investment scams drove the highest reported losses to Scamwatch in Q1, with Australians reporting $45.5 million lost — consistent with their position as the leading loss category in recent years.
Phishing remained the most commonly reported scam type, generating 13,428 reports, while relationship scams saw losses climb to $7.5 million. Email was the most frequent contact method, accounting for 16,759 reports during the quarter.
Lowe warned that scammers are raising the quality of their deception.
"Scammers are increasingly using polished and professional-looking online content to appear legitimate, which can make it more difficult for Australians to spot a scam," she said.
Separately, she urged consumers to stay alert to red flags: "Consumers should be cautious if a website or advertisement creates urgency, promises high returns or asks for payment or personal information upfront."
That disruption effort is now being backed by new law. The federal government recently announced the first formal sector designations under the Scams Prevention Framework, with banks, telecommunications providers, and major digital platforms facing mandatory anti-scam obligations from 1 July. While mortgage brokers are not directly designated in the first tranche, the obligations on their lender partners are significant — and the MFAA has flagged brokers' role in client education as central to the framework's success, making scam awareness a front-of-mind issue for the profession regardless.
The ACCC's advice is straightforward: stop before acting, check the source independently rather than following links in ads or messages, and report any suspicious activity to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au. Clients who believe they have lost money should contact their bank immediately and reach IDCARE on 1800 595 160 for recovery support.
With mandatory obligations now falling on the banks that brokers work with, the broader scam prevention conversation is one the industry can no longer afford to leave to others.
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