Global Stories

“Missed package?” Scam fooling thousands

Thousands of Kiwis are falling victim to evolving package delivery scams exploiting busy inboxes with fake DHL and NZ Post emails.

By Mark Gorrie • 6 min read • Mon, 30th Jun 2025

Malware

Cybercriminals harness AI to boost phishing & malware attacks

Cybercriminals are increasingly using AI to create sophisticated phishing and malware attacks, complicating detection and raising cybersecurity risks globally.

By Shannon Williams • 3 min read • Wed, 4th Jun 2025

Malware

Fake AI social media ads spread malware to millions globally

Vietnam-linked hackers have used fake AI ads on Facebook and LinkedIn to spread malware to millions globally, stealing sensitive data from users.

By Jed Nykolle Harme • 3 min read • Wed, 28th May 2025

Artificial Intelligence

Retail fraud awareness rises with social media, risks USD $107bn

Awareness of retail fraud surges via social media, with risks looming at USD $107bn by 2029 as consumers grow tempted and acceptance rises.

By Shannon Williams • 4 min read • Thu, 22nd May 2025

Malware

Facebook ads scam uses celebrity faces to spread malware

Facebook malvertising exploits images of stars like Elon Musk, promoting fake crypto brands to spread malware in Australia, New Zealand, and beyond.

By Melania Watson • 4 min read • Fri, 9th May 2025

Online Safety

Crypto job scams in Australia cost victims USD $9.3 billion

An Infoblox investigation exposes how recruitment scams on Telegram target Australians with fake jobs, demanding crypto payments to continue employment.

By Melania Watson • 3 min read • Thu, 8th May 2025

Phishing

Subscription & 'mystery box' scams surge with new tactics

Bitdefender warns of over 200 sophisticated fraud sites using fake ads and subscriptions to scam consumers with deceptive 'mystery box' offers online.

By Melania Watson • 5 min read • Thu, 1st May 2025

Firewalls

AI bots drive 57% of holiday shopping traffic, study finds

Radware's 2025 report reveals 57% of 2024 holiday eCommerce traffic was from bots, marking a shift with AI-enhanced bots outpacing human shoppers online.

By Melvin Hipolito • 3 min read • Thu, 24th Apr 2025

Phishing

AI-powered scams surge online as Microsoft blocks USD $4bn

Microsoft's report reveals a surge in AI-powered scams, blocking USD $4bn in fraud and detecting 1.6 million bot signups per hour online.

By Melania Watson • 3 min read • Thu, 17th Apr 2025

Marketing Technologies

Google blocks 5.1 billion ads & boosts AI ad safeguards

Google blocked over 5.1bn ads and suspended 39.2m accounts in 2024, using AI advancements to combat ad scams and protect consumers.

By Sean Mitchell • 3 min read • Thu, 17th Apr 2025

Cybersecurity

Bitdefender unveils new family security plans for consumers

Bitdefender has launched new Family Plans, offering tailored security solutions as cybercrime losses soar to over USD $1 trillion globally, ensuring families stay protected.

By Melania Watson • 3 min read • Mon, 7th Apr 2025

Cybersecurity

US leads global online fraud rates, new study reveals

A recent study by ZeroBounce reveals the US leads globally in online fraud risk, with a staggering score of 64.2 and 83% of incidents occurring digitally.

By Shannon Williams • 3 min read • Sun, 16th Mar 2025

Physical Security

Emerging multimedia Bitcoin scams use deceptive MMS videos

A study by Proofpoint reveals a rise in Bitcoin scams utilising video attachments in multimedia messages, evolving from static images to deceive victims.

By Melania Watson • 3 min read • Tue, 25th Feb 2025

Social Media

Romance scams reach six-year high, Moody's reports

Moody's highlights a six-year high in romance scams, unveiling 1,193 new entities globally in 2024, with the US leading at 38% of cases.

By Shannon Williams • 3 min read • Thu, 13th Feb 2025

Data Protection

Entrust launches AI identity tool to tackle USD $112bn fraud

Entrust has launched a new AI-based identity verification service to help businesses tackle rising online fraud, which cost US firms USD $112 billion in 2024.

By Imee Dequito • 3 min read • Wed, 22nd Jan 2025

Stories from Other Regions

Data Protection

HMRC hit by GBP £47 million phishing scam affecting 100,000

HMRC has lost GBP £47 million in a phishing scam affecting 100,000 taxpayers, exposing vulnerabilities in government cybersecurity protocols.

By Shannon Williams • 3 min read • Fri, 6th Jun 2025

Cybersecurity

Social media becomes top platform for retail scams in Australia

Social media and online forums have now surpassed email as the top platforms for retail scams in Australia, with losses exceeding AUD $2.5 million in 2024.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Tue, 20th May 2025

Malware

Australian investors lose AUD $945 million to cyber scams

Australian investment scams have cost consumers AUD $945 million in 2024, driven by complex cybercriminal groups Reckless Rabbit and Ruthless Rabbit, says Infoblox.

By Moritz Florian • 4 min read • Tue, 29th Apr 2025

Unified Communications

Cifas reports sharp rise in UK identity fraud cases for 2024

Fraud cases in the UK surged by 12.5% in 2024, with identity fraud now comprising 59% of reports, highlighting a worrying trend in cybercrime tactics.

By Kaleah Salmon • 3 min read • Mon, 14th Apr 2025

Marketing Technologies

eCommerce faces cybercrime losses of GBP £2.02m per hour

Research from Cequence Security warns eCommerce firms could lose GBP £2.02 million per hour to cybercrime during December's holiday shopping season.

By Shannon Williams • 3 min read • Thu, 19th Dec 2024