I got a text the other day “Hi Mum, I have broken my phone and I
am using this number.” The “Hi Mum” scam has exploded with more than 1,150 Australians falling victim to the ploy in the first seven
months of 2022, with total reported losses of $2.6 million.
Once the scammer establishes contact, they start requesting money for an urgent bill or a replacement phone
etc. For those with children or dependant family members, it is not that hard to believe. According to the Australian Consumer and
Competition Commission (ACCC), two-thirds of family impersonation scams were reported by women over 55 years of age.
Another common scam is the lost or unable to deliver package texts and voicemail. With Christmas just around the corner, we can expect to
see another escalation of this scam where tracking links purportedly from Australia Post, Toll, or Amazon etc., are used to instal malware.
Once accessed, the malware will access your contacts and spread the malware and potentially access your personal information and bank
details.
In July, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) reported a new wave of ‘Tax refund SMSF scams’. The texts purported to be from the ATO
stating that the individual had a tax refund and to click on the link and complete the form.
Another scam purporting to be from the ATO advised that the recipient was suspected of being involved in cryptocurrency tax evasion and
requested that they connect their wallet. At which point the wallet was accessed and any assets stolen.
The ACCC’s
Targeting Scams
report
states that in 2021, nearly $1.8bn in losses were reported but the real figure is likely to be well over $2bn. The largest combined losses
in 2021 were:
After overwhelming demand and sold-out sessions in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Mornington in 2025, we’re inviting expressions of interest for 2026. If you missed out earlier or are ready to dive into hands-on automation training, we’re considering additional sessions in various locations across Australia in 2026.
LIVE 2-DAY COURSE - MELBOURNE CBD
15 & 16 December 2025
Join SkyBots’ 2-day Workshop with automation expert Daryl Aw to revolutionise your workflow using Power Automate, UiPath, VBA,
and cutting-edge AI tools like Copilot and ChatGPT. Tailored for accounting and finance
professionals, bookkeepers and small business owners, this hands-on training will teach you to automate repetitive tasks, generate and
optimise VBA scripts, and deploy robust automation solutions independently.
LIVE 2-DAY COURSE - SYDNEY
11 & 12 December 2025
Join SkyBots’ 2-day Workshop with automation expert Daryl Aw to revolutionise your workflow using Power Automate, UiPath, VBA,
and cutting-edge AI tools like Copilot and ChatGPT. Tailored for accounting and finance
professionals, bookkeepers and small business owners, this hands-on training will teach you to automate repetitive tasks, generate and
optimise VBA scripts, and deploy robust automation solutions independently.
LIVE 2-DAY COURSE - ADELAIDE CBD
8 & 9 December 2025
Join SkyBots’ 2-day Workshop with automation expert Daryl Aw to revolutionise your workflow using Power Automate, UiPath, VBA,
and cutting-edge AI tools like Copilot and ChatGPT. Tailored for accounting and finance
professionals, bookkeepers and small business owners, this hands-on training will teach you to automate repetitive tasks, generate and
optimise VBA scripts, and deploy robust automation solutions independently.
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Running a small business has always been personal. Every sale, every setback, every sleepless night - it all comes back to the same person: the owner.
A staggering 93% of small business owners reported higher costs this year, while 64% saw profits fall. Taxes, wages, and insurance top the list of pressures, with taxes ranked as the number one cost by half of respondents of a recent report.
Australia’s small business sector has always been defined by its resilience - but the latest Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA) and CommBank Small Business Perspectives Report 2025 shows that resilience is being tested like never before.
