How safe is Australia for travelers?

Safety and the most common scams

Australia is considered an exceptionally safe destination for personal safety with minimal violent crime. The risks for tourists in 2026 lie primarily in cybercrime and specific scams:

• Fake toll SMS (toll road phishing): the most widespread scam targeting tourists with rental cars. You receive an SMS (smishing) posing as an official demand from the toll operator "Linkt" to immediately settle a small motorway debt or face a large fine. The link leads to a perfectly imitated payment portal that abuses your card. Australian toll companies never send SMS with direct payment links to users without a registered toll account.
• Booking.com phishing: hackers compromise the chat systems of legitimate hotels inside the official platform and message guests demanding a "payment card confirmation" under threat of cancellation. Verify any such request immediately by phoning the hotel reception directly, outside the app's chat interface.
• Airport transport touts: unauthorized drivers approach tourists right in the arrivals halls offering a quick fixed-price ride. The rates are always heavily inflated, the drivers often have no meter or licence, and tampered card terminals pose a fraud risk. Use only official taxi ranks and the dedicated Uber/DiDi zones.
• Critical wildlife collision danger: outside urban areas there is an absolute rule against driving at dusk, night and dawn. Kangaroos, wombats and wild horses are extremely active then and jump directly in front of moving vehicles. Hitting a large kangaroo at highway speed destroys the car and poses a fatal risk. Most rental companies carry an insurance clause that entirely excludes damage from animal collisions after sunset in regional areas.