In 2024, a total of 494,732 scam reports were filed, a 17.8% decrease from the previous year, reflecting the growing effectiveness of public awareness campaigns and reporting mechanisms in deterring scams.
Although investment scams remained the most financially damaging, notable declines were observed across nearly all scam categories, with the exception of payment redirection scams.
The National Anti-Scam Centre’s comprehensive 2024 report highlighted these trends, drawing on data from Scamwatch, ReportCyber, the Australian Financial Crimes Exchange, IDCARE, and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
These sources collectively reported a significant decrease in scam-related financial losses, totaling $2.03 billion—a 25.9% reduction from the previous year.
This data underscores the ongoing efforts to combat the financial impact of scams targeting Australians.
The report highlighted significant advancements in preventing and disrupting scams.
Over 6,000 non-investment scam URLs and 2,000 investment scam URLs were taken down.
The National Anti-Scam Centre has made significant strides in breaking the contact between scammers and potential victims, reflecting a robust defense mechanism against scams.
2024 marked a year of enhanced collaboration and intelligence sharing across various sectors.
Daily exchanges of scam URLs with ASIC and bi-hourly updates of suspected scammer bank details to financial institutions have bolstered the rapid response to emerging threats. This collective effort has been critical in shutting down fraudulent operations swiftly.
ABA CEO Anna Bligh (pictured) acknowledged the progress made in the fight against scams, noting a nearly 26% reduction in reported losses.
“This is further progress in the war against the international criminal gangs orchestrating these scams,” Bligh said in a media release.
She stressed the ongoing need for vigilance and continuous effort across government, banking, telecommunications, and digital platforms to adapt to evolving scam tactics.
The implementation of the Scams Prevention Framework Act in 2025 is a significant milestone.
The framework mandates regulated entities to take reasonable steps to prevent, detect, report, disrupt, and respond to scams, providing a structured approach to enhancing consumer protection.
Looking ahead to 2025, the National Anti-Scam Centre is set to further consolidate data sources and enhance technological capabilities to support secure data sharing and scam prevention.
The ongoing international cooperation and focus on consumer empowerment through education and outreach remain pivotal.
For more detailed information on the 2024 scam activities and the comprehensive efforts made to combat them, the full report by the National Anti-Scam Centre can be accessed here.
