Artificial intelligence is accelerating scam activity among Australians aged 50 and over, with one in four reporting AI-related scams and more than one in five suffering financial losses, new research shows.
The Australian Seniors Scams Report 2025 found that 25% of Australians aged 50+ have experienced an AI-related scam, most often through AI-generated phishing emails or messages. The report, based on an online survey of more than 1,200 respondents conducted in September 2025, shows that AI-driven deception is making fraudulent activity harder to detect and increasing exposure across digital channels.
Financial losses remain material. About 22% of respondents reported losing money or assets to scams, with 37% of those affected saying they were victimised more than once. While 58% of reported losses were under $1,000, 3% involved losses of $50,000 or more. Nearly one-quarter of those who lost money said they cut back on everyday spending, and 19% drew on savings or emergency funds.
The findings sit alongside national data showing older Australians carry a disproportionate share of scam losses. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) reported that people over 65 were the only age group to record an increase in reported losses in 2023, rising 13.3% to $120 million, according to figures cited by National Seniors Australia. Investment scams accounted for a large share of these losses, often initiated through social media contact.
Exposure remains frequent. The Australian Seniors report found that 84% of respondents have encountered or been victims of a scam at some point, while 63% believe they were targeted in the past 12 months. Among those targeted, 53% said they received suspected scam contact at least weekly. Phone calls were the most common method at 73%, followed by emails at 70% and SMS messages at 59%. Parcel delivery scams linked to AusPost were reported by 47%, overdue payment scams by 40%, phishing or impersonation scams by 36%, and ATO or MyGov scams by 34%.
AI-related risks extend beyond direct financial loss. About 38% of respondents said they had encountered AI-generated images, videos, or news articles they initially believed were real, while 31% were unsure. More than half, or 51%, believe all types of AI-generated content will soon be equally hard to detect. Nearly nine in 10 respondents said older Australians are being left behind in understanding AI risks.
“AI and deepfake technology are now used by cybercriminals to make scam look more real,” said Lennon Chang, associate professor of cyber risk and policy at Deakin University, in comments reported by Mirage News in December 2025.
Reporting gaps persist. While 56% of those who lost money reported incidents to a bank or financial institution, 16% did not report losses to any organisation. Banks and financial institutions were also cited by 47% of respondents as a primary source of scam-prevention information, alongside government resources at 46%.
The ACCC has said it is increasing anti-scam activity, including sharing intelligence with banks, telcos, and digital platforms to disrupt fraudulent activity and limit losses across the system.
