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Latest report

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Targeting scams infographic - high resolution

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Reports

  • 239,237 reports to Scamwatch (a 16.5% decrease from 268, 622 reports in 2021)

Losses

  • $3+ billion: 2022 combined financial losses reported to Scamwatch, ReportCyber, IDCARE, Australian Financial Crimes Exchange (AFCX) and government agencies.
  • $569 million: Amount reported to Scamwatch (a 76% increase from $324 million in 2021)
  • $19,654: Average loss (a 224% increase from 2020)

Top scams by loss as reported to Scamwatch

  • $377 million: Investment scams
  • $40 million: Dating & romance scams
  • $24 million: False billing
  • $24 million: Phishing
  • $21 million: Remote access scams
  • $13 million: Threats to life, arrest or other
  • $10 million: Identity theft
  • $9 million: Jobs & employment scams
  • $9 million: Online shopping scams
  • $8 million: Classified scams

Age

  • Of those over 18 years old, losses are primarily reported by people aged 65 and over (26.4%), while people aged 18-24 reported the lowest number of losses (3.4%).
  • Of those over 18 years old, reports are primarily reported by people aged 65 and over (25.5%), while people aged 18-24 reported the lowest number of reports (5.6%).

Top contact methods by reports

  • 33% of people were contacted by scammers via a text message, with 29% of people being contacted via phone.

Previous reports

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