An alarming trend of credit card fraud, scams and identity theft has skyrocketed across the country.
Last financial year 2.1 million individuals experienced credit card fraud, 675,300 individuals fell prey to a scam, 255,100 people have had their identity stolen and 433,000 people have experienced online impersonation.
These numbers contribute to an increase in personal fraud cases over four financial years.
In the past financial year more than three million Australians fell victim to credit card fraud, scams or identity theft, with most people succumbing to credit card fraud.
Additionally, victims of scams have increased over the past year. A total of 677,600 individuals were scammed in the 2023 to 2024 financial year, with about 166,900 more Australians being scammed from the previous 2022 to 2023 financial year.
The grandmother of Rebecca Old said her elderly loved one was scammed out of a large amount of money.
“My grandma, Therese, is a vulnerable woman. She is 91 years old and she’s normally pretty good with scams, but she’s not very good with emails and technology,” she said.
“Last year she received a phone call telling her there was an issue with her emails and bank account and she thought it was legitimate because they used the correct bank that she banks with.
“They made her download a remote access app and they were very empathetic towards her and insistent with helping her. They ended up coercing her out of $3,000 before she realised she had been scammed.”
In the last year 2.9 per cent of people aged 65 and over fell victim to a scam, a 0.4 per cent (19,000 people) increase from the 2022 to 2023 financial year.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data shows more Australians are becoming susceptible to personal fraud.
The ABS data has highlighted the necessity of vigilance around the release of personal information.
Additional reporting: Paige Jenkins
