Social media scams are targeting children and teens in Australia Scammers have pocketed over $129,700 (according to ScamWatch 2024) from young Australians in 2024, according to new data from the Australian government. AUCyber, a top cyber security agency, reports that social media is the primary channel for these scams, with 198 incidents recorded this year alone.
AUCyber CEO Peter Maloney warns that criminals are focusing on children’s interests to exploit their online presence. Scammers often use social media to promote fake ads for discounted gaming credits, virtual skins, or free in-game tokens. These scams lure young users into fake stores or fraudulent sites, resulting in average losses of about $250 per incident.