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Door Scams Australians Face in 2025

  • 24 hours ago
  • 4 min read

Door Scams Australians Face in 2025


Doorstep scams, which occur at your front door, often involve aggressive sales tactics or the offer of services or products at very low prices. These scams may appear as legitimate sales, repairs, or even charitable solicitations. Be wary of door-to-door salespeople who pressure you into making quick decisions, present deals that seem unbelievably good, or request personal information. If you feel uncertain about a request, take your time to research the company, and don't hesitate to politely refuse or ask them to leave. 

  



Common tactics used in door-to-door scams:
Common tactics used in door-to-door scams:

Door Scams Australians Face in 2025

Common tactics used in door-to-door scams:
Common tactics used in door-to-door scams:


  •  Common tactics used in door-to-door scams:  

  • High-pressure sales:

    Scammers may create a sense of urgency or imply you're missing out on a limited-time offer. 


  • Too good to be true offers:

    They might provide products or services at prices much lower than expected. 


  • Fake charities:

    Fraudsters may pretend to represent charitable organizations to gather donations.


  • Repairs or maintenance:

    They might claim to offer essential repairs or maintenance work but are actually trying to scam you. 


  • Distraction tactics:

    In some cases, scammers may try to distract you while their accomplices enter your home to steal. 

According to the ACCC’s most recent report, Targeting Scams in 2022 Australians lost at least $3 billion to online scams and fraudsters.
According to the ACCC’s most recent report, Targeting Scams in 2022 Australians lost at least $3 billion to online scams and fraudsters.

Door Scams Australians Face in 2025

On the Internet it seems you can’t click anywhere without someone trying to rip you off. Here’s the most common scams you’re likely to hit, and how to avoid them.
On the Internet it seems you can’t click anywhere without someone trying to rip you off. Here’s the most common scams you’re likely to hit, and how to avoid them.

Doorstep scams, which occur at your front door, often involve aggressive sales tactics or the offer of services or products at very low prices. These scams may appear as legitimate sales, repairs, or even charitable solicitations. Be wary of door-to-door salespeople who pressure you into making quick decisions, present deals that seem unbelievably good, or request personal information. If you feel uncertain about a request, take your time to research the company, and don't hesitate to politely refuse or ask them to leave.     Common tactics used in door-to-door scams: Common tactics used in door-to-door scams:  Common tactics used in door-to-door scams:   High-pressure sales: Scammers may create a sense of urgency or imply you're missing out on a limited-time offer.  Too good to be true offers: They might provide products or services at prices much lower than expected.  Fake charities: Fraudsters may pretend to represent charitable organizations to gather donations. Repairs or maintenance: They might claim to offer essential repairs or maintenance work but are actually trying to scam you.  Distraction tactics: In some cases, scammers may try to distract you while their accomplices enter your home to steal.  According to the ACCC’s most recent report, Targeting Scams in 2022 Australians lost at least $3 billion to online scams and fraudsters. On the Internet it seems you can’t click anywhere without someone trying to rip you off. Here’s the most common scams you’re likely to hit, and how to avoid them. How to protect yourself from delivery scams:                      How to protect yourself:      Install a "Do Not Knock" sticker on your door: to deter unwanted visitors.  Take your time to decide: Don't feel compelled to make an immediate decision.  Verify the identity of the salesperson: Request identification and contact information, then verify the company.  Don't be afraid to ask for a copy of the contract or any other paperwork: before signing anything.  Don't be afraid to politely decline: If you're not interested in the offer, simply inform them that you're not interested and ask them to leave.  Report any suspicious activity: If you suspect a scam, contact the police or your local consumer protection agency. Thinking you're safe from online scams is risky, as they are evolving in new ways. In 2022, Australians lost at least $3 billion to online scams, according to the ACCC's report, Targeting Scams. Online scams aren't new, but underestimating them can be costly, as shown by the Australians who lost $3 billion. The ACCC highlights how scams are changing and what to watch for. Text Message Scams Are Increasing The "Hi Mum" scam showed how SMS scams are fooling Australians. SMS scams topped the list as the most common way to target Australians, with 79,835 reports, making up 33% of all scam reports in 2022. This is just the tip of the iceberg, as many SMS scams go unreported. Protecting Yourself from SMS Scams Treat every SMS as suspicious, even from family. If you receive an SMS from a business, government, or retailer, never click on supplied links. Instead, visit the site directly and log in to check for messages. The Federal Government is proposing an SMS Sender ID register to reduce SMS impersonation scams from big businesses. If you’re an older Australian, you’re more likely to be scammed While the online world is often seen as a young person’s domain, older Australians are more susceptible to scams. In 2022, Australians aged 65 or more lost at least $120 million to scams, compared to $16 million for those aged 18-24, according to the ACCC. These figures might be higher due to unreported cases. Scammers target older Australians because they may have significant savings and are perceived as less tech-savvy. Scams often involve jargon, malware, or demands for gift cards and cryptocurrencies. How older Australians can protect themselves against scams Protection measures are the same for all ages: educate yourself, ask questions, and take time to consider suspicious messages or proposals. Be wary of too-good-to-be-true offers, sudden online romances, or unsolicited tech support calls. Scammers want you to act quickly, so resist the urge. Book a Digital Security Check for your devices It’s not enough to just know about scam messages Recent impersonation frauds highlight the importance of security. Scammers use data breaches to access personal information and compromise accounts like MyGov, leading to financial chaos. It’s crucial to maintain strong security practices, as breaches expose identifying information that scammers exploit. How to protect yourself from identity theft scams Be cautious with your personal data and limit where you share it. Strengthen your defenses by auditing passwords to ensure uniqueness and using a password management app. Enable two-factor authentication for additional security. Regularly check your account details to catch unauthorized changes early. If access issues arise, contact the service immediately to verify your identity and prevent further fraud.
How to protect yourself from delivery scams:

  

      

Door Scams Australians Face in 2025

  


      

 How to protect yourself:  

  

  • Install a "Do Not Knock" sticker on your door: to deter unwanted visitors. 


  • Take your time to decide: Don't feel compelled to make an immediate decision. 


  • Verify the identity of the salesperson: Request identification and contact information, then verify the company. 


  • Don't be afraid to ask for a copy of the contract or any other paperwork: before signing anything. 


  • Don't be afraid to politely decline: If you're not interested in the offer, simply inform them that you're not interested and ask them to leave. 


  • Report any suspicious activity: If you suspect a scam, contact the police or your local consumer protection agency.



Thinking you're safe from online scams is risky, as they are evolving in new ways.

In 2022, Australians lost at least $3 billion to online scams, according to the ACCC's report, Targeting Scams.


Online scams aren't new, but underestimating them can be costly, as shown by the Australians who lost $3 billion.

The ACCC highlights how scams are changing and what to watch for.


Text Message Scams Are Increasing

The "Hi Mum" scam showed how SMS scams are fooling Australians. SMS scams topped the list as the most common way to target Australians, with 79,835 reports, making up 33% of all scam reports in 2022.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, as many SMS scams go unreported.


Protecting Yourself from SMS Scams


Treat every SMS as suspicious, even from family. If you receive an SMS from a business, government, or retailer, never click on supplied links. Instead, visit the site directly and log in to check for messages.

The Federal Government is proposing an SMS Sender ID register to reduce SMS impersonation scams from big businesses.



If you’re an older Australian, you’re more likely to be scammed

While the online world is often seen as a young person’s domain, older Australians are more susceptible to scams. In 2022, Australians aged 65 or more lost at least $120 million to scams, compared to $16 million for those aged 18-24, according to the ACCC. These figures might be higher due to unreported cases.

Scammers target older Australians because they may have significant savings and are perceived as less tech-savvy. Scams often involve jargon, malware, or demands for gift cards and cryptocurrencies.


How older Australians can protect themselves against scams


Protection measures are the same for all ages: educate yourself, ask questions, and take time to consider suspicious messages or proposals. Be wary of too-good-to-be-true offers, sudden online romances, or unsolicited tech support calls. Scammers want you to act quickly, so resist the urge.

Book a Digital Security Check for your devices


It’s not enough to just know about scam messages

Recent impersonation frauds highlight the importance of security. Scammers use data breaches to access personal information and compromise accounts like MyGov, leading to financial chaos. It’s crucial to maintain strong security practices, as breaches expose identifying information that scammers exploit.


How to protect yourself from identity theft scams

Be cautious with your personal data and limit where you share it. Strengthen your defenses by auditing passwords to ensure uniqueness and using a password management app. Enable two-factor authentication for additional security. Regularly check your account details to catch unauthorized changes early. If access issues arise, contact the service immediately to verify your identity and prevent further fraud.

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