Security firm Proofpoint says that retailer Kmart’s recent warning of a new attack by a sophisticated SMS scam means that it is important for Australians to remain vigilant and aware of these types of attacks.

Australians are expected to suffer record losses to scammers exceeding $532 million by the end of this year, surpassing half a billion dollars for the first time, according to the latest Scamwatch report from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

Cybercriminals are abusing Twitter via tech support scams, command-and-control (C&C) operations and data exfiltration, with criminals found using fake Twitter accounts to spoof those of legitimate vendors for credible tech support scams.