The number of Australians affected by scams has increased, with card fraud emerging as one of the most frequently reported incidents, according to recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
ABS figures indicate that over two million Australians experienced credit, debit, or EFTPOS card fraud in the last financial year. This type of fraud involves unauthorized transactions or cash withdrawals made without the cardholder’s consent.
In addition, approximately 675,000 individuals responded to scam messages, which may have involved providing personal or financial information or clicking on links associated with fraudulent activities.
William Milne, head of crime statistics at the ABS, noted that the percentage of Australians impacted by scams has risen over the past year.
“We found that 9.9% of Australians aged 15 years and over were victims of card fraud in 2023-24, an increase from 8.7% in the previous year,” Milne said.
Despite a rise in the number of reported scams, data from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s (ASIC) Scamwatch service shows that overall financial losses due to scams have decreased. Australians lost an estimated $2.7 billion to scams in 2023, compared to $2.0 billion in 2024.
According to the ABS, many victims of card fraud were able to recover lost funds. “We found that 72% of card fraud victims were fully reimbursed by their card issuer,” Milne added.
The ABS report also found that 3.1% of the Australian population fell victim to scams in the 2023-24 period, up from 2.5% in the previous year. The most common type of scam involved buying and selling fraud, such as false billing and online shopping scams, which affected approximately 308,000 Australians. This was a notable increase from 200,000 cases in the prior financial year.
Additionally, the number of scam reports made to social media platforms and online marketplaces increased to 14%, up from 9.7% in the previous reporting period.
Authorities continue to urge the public to remain cautious, verify the legitimacy of financial transactions, and report any suspicious activity to relevant consumer protection agencies.
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