It’s 2025, and while many young Australians are glued to their screens, scrolling through TikTok, Instagram, and whatever app is trending this week, there’s a darker undercurrent no one wants to talk about -scams. 

Younger people, aged 18–34, are 15 times more likely than older Australians to rely on social media for advice. Whether it’s financial tips, life hacks, or relationship guidance, the result is the same, they’re left wide open to cybercrime. And they’re getting scammed in droves.

The numbers don’t lie. Reports show that Generation Z and Millennials lose millions every year to scammers lurking on social media. The scams range from ‘too good to be true’ marketplace deals to dodgy influencers promising wealth, health, or eternal happiness for the price of a few clicks. In 2023 alone, Australians under 25 reported over $5 million in losses, and that’s just what people were willing to admit.

Here is the twist: it’s not just about money. Trust, a core part of our social fabric, is being weaponised. Social media platforms, designed to keep you hooked, have become playgrounds for scam artists who exploit your emotions and feed on your insecurities.

This isn’t just a parental problem. Schools have a vital role in equipping young Australians with tools to fight back. Gone are the days when digital literacy meant learning how to format a Word document. Now, it’s about teaching kids how to spot a deepfake, identify online fraud, and question the reliability of an "influencer" over a certified expert.

Some schools are stepping up. In a number of schools, students will soon learn about coercive control, deepfakes, and online safety in a revamped child safety curriculum. Elsewhere, interactive tools, like games simulating scam scenarios, help students practise recognising fraud in real time.

And organisations like the eSafety Commissioner are offering resources that every school, and frankly, every household, should be using.

But schools can’t do it alone. Parents need to have these conversations at home, and tech companies need to be held accountable for their platforms.

Yet, until we prioritise education and community collaboration, the scammers will continue to win.

It’s tempting to roll your eyes and think, "How could they fall for that?" But let’s not pretend older generations are immune. What sets younger people apart is their trust in social media as a credible source, a space where everyone from friends to so-called experts converges. 

When schools, families, and governments fail to provide the tools to navigate this mess, who’s really at fault?

As the scams evolve, so must we. Whether it’s through better education, stronger digital safeguards, or simply teaching the next generation to pause and think before they click, the time to act is now. Because if we don’t, the scammers won’t just be stealing money, they’ll be stealing our trust.