Did you know that individuals aged between 35-44 are now the primary targets for scammers seeking monetary gains? The recently released 2022-23 scam data sheds light on a concerning trend, indicating that scams are becoming more sophisticated and harder for the community to discern.
In the past year, there has been a notable surge in ATO impersonation scams, with a reported 25,609 cases—an increase of over 25%. Despite this spike, there has been a commendable 75% decrease in the amount of money paid to scammers. It appears that scammers are shifting their focus towards harvesting personally identifying information (PII) instead of direct monetary transactions.
Intriguingly, there has been a 71% decrease in individuals providing PII, indicating that people are becoming more cautious about divulging sensitive information. However, scammers continue to exploit PII to compromise identities, leading to challenges such as difficulties in filing tax returns and securing myGov logins.
It’s crucial to stay vigilant, safeguard your identity information, and regularly monitor your online accounts for any unusual activity. Remember, cutting off the financial flow to scammers is a vital step in putting a halt to their illicit activities, and the data suggests that we are making progress in this regard.
Here are the key highlights from the latest scam data for the 2022-23 financial year:
- ATO impersonation scams saw a significant increase, with 25,609 reported cases, marking a rise of over 25%.
- Money paid to scammers decreased by an impressive 75%.
- Only 28 individuals fell victim to scam payments, reflecting a substantial 66% decrease.
- Personal identifying information (PII) disclosures dropped by 71%, with 346 people providing such details.
- Scammers are altering their communication methods, with a 179% increase in email scams and a staggering 414% rise in SMS scams.
- The shift towards SMS and email scams has given rise to targeted phishing scams, leading to fraudulent websites. In response, 4,836 websites were taken down with the assistance of AusCERT.
- Individuals aged 35-44 are now the most susceptible to falling for scam payments, a shift from the previous year’s trend where the 25-34 age group was the primary target.
- The 25-34 age group remains the highest contributor to PII disclosures to scammers.
Stay informed, stay vigilant, and let’s continue the collective effort to curb the impact of scams on our community.
