'I'm a private investigator who catches scammers. These are the 3 tricks people fall for.'

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Kylee Dennis has seen it all. As a former NSW police detective turned private investigator and founder of Two Face Investigations, she's witnessed firsthand how sophisticated scammers are becoming.

And how easily everyday Australians are falling victim.

"Scams are the number one crime in the world," Dennis told Mamamia. "They have taken over the drug trade — $1 trillion last year, but that's just what's reported."

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Recent research from cybersecurity leader Trend Micro found that two-thirds of Australians have been targeted by an online scam and more than a quarter have fallen victim.

Alarmingly, nearly a third of victims only realised it was a scam after losing money, and 38% stayed quiet out of embarrassment.

Dennis, who entered the world of scam investigations after her own mother was targeted, says the scale of the problem is staggering.

"The money is with organised crime and what do they do with that money? It's a bigger picture. It's not just someone sitting in a café. It's frightful," she said.

So what are the top three scams catching Australians off guard?

1. Investment scams.

"Investment scams are number one," Dennis said, explaining that these range from an unsolicited message, through to sophisticated operations beginning as seemingly innocent friendships.

The Trend Micro research backs this up, finding that 19% of victims received texts about "good investments" or "easy ways to make money", while 25% were duped by promoted items on social media marketplaces that looked legitimate.

Dennis warns about "pig butchering scams", a particularly cruel type of investment fraud. "That starts as a friendship and turns into getting you to invest, and then they slaughter you at the end," she explained.

"It's not greedy people looking for money. It's just kind-hearted Aussies believing that they're doing something to help themselves or their families in the future."

Her advice? "If it sounds too good to be true, it's never true."

"I would never invest my money unless I went and saw my broker or my financial adviser."

2. Phishing scams.

Coming in at number two are phishing scams: unsolicited messages that seem to come from legitimate organisations.

"Phishing is unsolicited, quick messaging, something that's come to you without you looking for it," Dennis explained. This includes the notorious "Hi Mum" scams and fake emails impersonating trusted companies.

The Trend Micro research found that 18% of victims received urgent messages from fake "official" organisations citing penalties if payments or personal information weren't provided, while 13% received messages from someone impersonating trusted contacts.

Dennis says scammers are getting cleverer with their tactics.

"They're sending messages through WhatsApp to do job scams and investment scams. They're utilising these platforms because it's encrypted messaging for them."

The key warning signs? Look closely at company names and websites. "Instead of the letter 'I', it could be a '1'," Dennis said. "When they're not legit, you can see there will be a slight difference, maybe a capital letter that shouldn't be there."

3. Romance scams.

Romance scams round out the top three, with Australians losing $40 million collectively in 2023 according to Scamwatch.

"50 and above is the most impacted demographic," Dennis said, though these scams aren't limited to the complex operations we've seen in Netflix series like The Tinder Swindler.

The emotional manipulation can be devastating. "I've spoken to women that have taken naked selfies of themselves and sent them to their love interest, which, in turn, has been a scam," Dennis revealed.

"They're so worried about the photos being released to their family and friends. It's just a threat they're making so you would comply and give them money. They're evil people."

Her golden rule for online dating? "Don't send money or naked photos to people you don't know. You don't know who is really receiving those photos."

The platforms fuelling the problem.

Dennis identified the top three platforms being exploited by scammers: "Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram." The Trend Micro research found that 39% of victims were asked to switch messaging apps mid-chat, a tactic to evade detection.

"When people you don't know befriend you on Facebook, stop doing that," Dennis warned. "You're basically having someone open your front door and walk into your house."

"I've been scammed twice shopping on Facebook," Kylee admitted.

"I was served an ad, and, of course, it took me to a platform, a web page that looked good. And I wasn't concentrating, I was away with the fairies, not thinking twice about it. I lost $120 and, for someone, $120 could mean that week's worth of groceries."

How to protect yourself.

Dennis's advice is simple but crucial: pause.

"Nothing is urgent in this world, unless you're having a stroke or a heart attack," she said. "So let's pause, look at what an email or message is saying, and then ring somebody you know."

"If you get anything sent to you, whether it be via email or a text message, don't click on that link,"

"Go into the web page itself in a separate window, and do it that way. That's the easiest way to stop you from being dragged into that vortex of scamming." 

"Have a look at everything that comes in, whether it be an email or message and really look at it and any details that are different from the legitimate company you interact with.

"Then instead of hitting that link, go into your statement. Spend that extra time, going into your statement, to see if the request is legitimate."

Her top tips include:

• Never click on links in suspicious messages — go to the company's website directly.

• Check your bank statements regularly.

• Look for subtle differences in company names and URLs.

• Don't believe Facebook ads or WhatsApp investment opportunities.

• Always seek advice before making financial decisions.

"I really want people to pause at everything that they do when they're online," Dennis emphasised. "That idea that you just don't make a quick decision on the hop, that's what they want us to do."

With scammers becoming increasingly sophisticated and organised crime syndicates profiting billions from these operations, Dennis's message is clear: "We're floating down a creek without a paddle."

But by staying vigilant and following basic safety protocols, Australians can protect themselves from becoming the next victim.

If you've been targeted by a scam, report it to Scamwatch and contact your bank immediately. There's no shame in being targeted; these criminals are professionals.

Feature Image: Instagram @twofaceinvestigations / Getty.

You can find out more from global cybersecurity leader Trend Micro, making the world safe for exchanging digital information here.

Get in touch with Kylee Dennis on Instagram @twofaceinvestigations.