Personal fraud is now touching a significant share of Australian households, with fresh Australian Bureau of Statistics data showing around one in seven people affected in 2024–25.
For mortgage brokers, the findings highlight growing exposure for clients’ savings, deposits, and day‑to‑day banking, at a time when higher mortgage rates and living costs are already stretching household budgets.
ABS estimates 3.2 million people experienced some form of personal fraud over the year. Card fraud dominates the picture, with 2.3 million Australians – around one in 10 people – falling victim.
“The number of Australians experiencing card fraud has doubled over the past decade, increasing from 1.1 million in 2014–15 to 2.3 million in 2024–25,” ABS head of crime statistics William Milne said in a media release.
Total losses from card fraud over the 12‑month period were put at $2.2 billion.
Almost three‑quarters of those who suffered card fraud were fully reimbursed by their bank or card issuer, softening the direct financial hit. After reimbursements from banks and other financial institutions, net losses to individuals fell to an estimated $350 million.
Beyond card fraud, the survey found about 600,000 people experienced a scam in the last year. The scam victimisation rate eased from 3.1% in 2023–24 to 2.7% in 2024–25, meaning roughly 80,000 fewer people were targeted successfully.
Milne noted that “buying or selling scams continued to be the most common scam type in Australia and was experienced by around 300,000 people,” underscoring ongoing risks around online marketplaces and classified platforms that many borrowers use.
An initial consultation on mandatory scam codes has concluded and the Scams Prevention Framework has now been legislated, with detailed sector‑specific codes for banks, telcos, and digital platforms to be developed through further consultation over 2025–26.
The fall in overall scam victimisation was largely driven by a drop in information‑request and phishing scams, with nearly 42,000 fewer victims over the year. While that points to some success in awareness campaigns and security controls, ABS cautions that the broader fraud landscape remains significant.
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