Action on scams, spam and telemarketing: July to September 2025

Our key actions
	Penalised gambling provider Betfair $871,660 for breaching spam rules.
	Penalised telco Exetel $694,860 for breaching mobile number fraud rules.
	Telcos have blocked more than 2.7 billion scam calls and 969.4 million scam SMS since July 2022.
	Consulted on rules for the SMS Sender ID Register that will launch in mid-2026.
	Gave 1,055 compliance alerts to businesses for early remediation of issues.

* You can obtain the accessibility information for the graphs in this report from the file at the bottom of this page. 

We have 2 compliance priorities for the 2025–26 financial year for unsolicited communications and scams:

1. Disrupting mobile number fraud – Our priority is to monitor whether telcos are complying with rules directed at fraud prevention and take strong enforcement action when we find non-compliance. Mobile number fraud can result in financial losses and emotional distress for those impacted.
2. Combating spam and telco scams – This is an enduring priority, and in 2025–26 will include a focus on persistent unwanted spam or telemarketing. We will escalate our approach to businesses that do not respond to our compliance alerts and early warnings. Unwanted spam or telemarketing can have a range of adverse impacts on consumers, ranging from frustration through to financial loss and serious impacts on mental health and wellbeing.

Disrupting mobile number fraud

Key actions and outcomes include:

• We announced Exetel Pty Ltd paid a penalty of $694,860 after we found it failed to comply with laws that protect customers from scammers on 73 occasions in June and July 2024. Scammers were able to manipulate Exetel’s systems to bypass parts of the required identity verification processes and gain control of mobile number services and access consumers’ bank accounts.
• We gave 12 threat alerts to telco sector entities about vulnerabilities identified in the course of our compliance activities in the online mobile numbering porting systems of some telcos. Threat alerts are provided so telcos can identify if they have similar issues that require quick remediation to prevent consumer harm.
• We gave 15 compliance alerts to telcos about potential mobile number fraud on their networks so they can take early action to remedy any issues and protect consumers.
• We warned consumers about protecting email accounts to stop mobile number fraud.

Combating spam and telco scams

Spam and telemarketing

Key actions and outcomes include:

• We announced Betfair Pty Limited paid a penalty of $871,660 and we accepted a 2-year court enforceable undertaking from the gambling provider after we found it had sent 154 emails and text messages between March and December 2024 to VIP customers that did not comply with Australia’s spam laws.
• We gave 1,055 compliance alerts to businesses about alleged non-compliance with spam and telemarketing rules to enable prompt resolution of issues. 

Scams

Key actions and outcomes:

• We announced that Buroserv Australia Pty Ltd was given a direction to comply with phone scam rules after we found it breached multiple obligations, including failing to share information about scam calls with telcos and the ACMA, and failing to report to the ACMA the number of scam calls and SMS blocked between July 2022 and June 2024.
• Telcos reported blocking more than 2.7 billion scam calls since December 2020 to the end of this quarter, and more than 969.4 million scam SMS since July 2022 to the end of this quarter. The ACMA and telcos use blocking statistics to identify trends and inform disruption activities.
• We consulted on new regulatory arrangements to support a mandatory SMS Sender ID Register. The register will help prevent business SMS headers from being impersonated by scammers and restore consumer confidence that the brand identified in an SMS is legitimate.
• We provided the voluntary pilot SMS Sender ID Register to protect the sender IDs of key brands used by scammers. This is disrupting SMS impersonation scams involving some of the key brands used in scam communications.
• We gave anonymised scam call data to telcos to inform their blocking activities.
• We collaborated with the National Anti-Scam Centre to share information on scam trends and align educational material for consumers.
• We worked alongside telcos, government agencies, international regulators and brands to disrupt phone scams by providing data and information.

We continue to receive complaints from the public about unwanted telemarketing, often from comparison services that try to offer a better deal. This type of unwanted telemarketing is most common across utilities, energy and insurance industries.

In some cases, members of the public say that they did not agree to receive a call and are registered on the Do Not Call Register. It is important for businesses to remember that it is illegal to make a telemarketing call to someone on the Do Not Call Register unless you have consent to do so.

If businesses are obtaining consent to make these types of calls, it should be clear to the individual what they are agreeing to. If businesses are purchasing leads gathered by third parties, they need to understand that the compliance obligations sit with the business using the leads. Always make sure any lists you purchase have been obtained with consent, and that you have the evidence to prove it if we investigate.

We give compliance alerts to businesses that have been the subject of complaints. If your business receives a compliance alert from us, you should take it seriously. Review your practices and ensure they align with telemarketing rules. Learn more about your obligations and how to comply: www.donotcall.gov.au.

At the end of this quarter, we have:

• opened 5 new investigations (2 for spam and telemarketing, and 3 for scams)
• finalised 5 investigations (2 for spam and telemarketing, and 3 for scams)
• monitored compliance with 20 court-enforceable undertakings.

For the 12 months to the end of the quarter, we took an average of 3.6 months to complete an investigation. All investigations were completed within 6 months.

View our enforcement actions for breaches of spam and telemarketing laws.

View our enforcement actions for breaches of scam laws. 

Finalised investigations

In this quarter:

• we received more than 5,300 complaints from consumers about alleged breaches of telemarketing and spam laws
• solar, electricity and other utilities were the most complained about industries
• scams made up 7.9% of the complaints we received (6.7% of spam complaints and 8.3% of telemarketing complaints).

Complaints received by financial year

Note: We have received 16 complaints about commercial instant messages so far in 2025–26.

Complaints received about scam calls and SMS 

Note: These are a subset of all complaints received by financial year.

Where we receive enough information to identify the alleged caller or sender, we alert businesses and telcos about potential compliance issues raised in complaints. One alert can relate to several issues or complaints. 

Compliance alerts given to businesses and telcos

Note: Compliance alerts for potential mobile number fraud are a new initiative in 2025–26.

Find out more about scam, spam and telemarketing rules, including how to make a complaint. 

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Access the data from charts in this report 

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Data files: Action on spam and telemarketing – July to September 2025