AusPayNet data shows overseas card fraud now dominates the Australian card fraud landscape

MEDIA RELEASE

14 August 2025

AusPayNet data shows overseas card fraud now
dominates the Australian card fraud landscape 
 

Data released today by Australian Payments Network (AusPayNet), Australia's self-regulatory body for the payments industry, has revealed growth in overseas card-not-present (CNP) fraud in 2024 continues to outstrip growth in domestic CNP fraud and is the major contributor to overall card fraud growth.

The AusPayNet figures show that while the total value of all card transactions in 2024 was up by 7 per cent to $1.16 trillion, the value of all card fraud on Australian-issued cards rose by 20 per cent to $913 million, driven by the increase in overseas CNP fraud. Overall, there was a 12 per cent year-on-year increase in the overall payment card fraud rate, from 70.2 cents per $1,000 spent in 2023 to 78.8 cents in 2024, also driven by the increase in overseas CNP fraud.

CNP fraud involves transactions where the physical card is not presented to the merchant at the point of payment, such as in online transactions.

After topping domestic CNP fraud for the first time in 2023, overseas CNP fraud — involving fraud on Australian-issued cards used to make purchases from merchants offshore, typically online — outpaced its domestic equivalent by $92 million in 2024.

Overseas CNP fraud increased by 25 per cent to $454 million in 2024 and occurred at a rate of $12.08 for every $1,000 spent. This rate of growth was well above the 15 per cent increase in spending overseas in the same period.

In contrast, domestic CNP fraud increased by 11 per cent to $362 million, a rate slower than the 21 per cent growth in domestic card spending. The domestic CNP fraud rate declined to a record low of 97 cents per $1,000 spent in 2024, underscoring the success of both the industry’s CNP Fraud Mitigation Framework, introduced by AusPayNet in 2019 to counter domestic CNP fraud, and the actions taken by individual issuers, acquirers and card schemes to protect their customers.

While only 3 per cent of the total card spend on Australian-issued cards last year involved Australian cards used overseas, overseas CNP fraud accounted for 50 per cent of all card fraud (and 56 per cent of CNP card fraud) and occurred at a rate more than 12 times that for the domestic equivalent.

Combined domestic and offshore CNP fraud was up 19 per cent to $816 million in 2024 and accounted for 90 per cent of all card payments fraud in the year.

Commenting on the 2024 fraud data, AusPayNet CEO Andy White said: "It is encouraging to see indicators of the continued positive impact of the CNP Fraud Mitigation Framework on the payments industry’s efforts to combat CNP fraud, evident in the subdued growth in losses from domestic CNP fraud.”

“But while this is good news, there is no room for complacency. Growth in CNP fraud has shifted to offshore transactions, which presents a more complex challenge that requires a global response,” Mr White said.

“A significant number of Australians shop on overseas websites, but many overseas merchants do not implement Strong Customer Authentication (SCA). SCA enhances payment security by allowing consumers to confirm if they are authorising a transaction. Criminals continue to employ a range of tactics to steal card credentials and exploit vulnerabilities that are created when merchants do not deploy SCA.”  

“AusPayNet continues to engage closely with card schemes, financial institutions and merchant bodies, as well as the National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC), to identify and implement strategies to combat overseas card fraud. We call on international merchants to implement SCA to protect consumers and the digital economy from fraud and scams.”

Since last year, AusPayNet has collaborated with the NASC and supported measures to take down fraudulent websites, including those involved in online shopping and phishing scams. AusPayNet also works with law enforcement agencies via its Economic Crime Forum, for example, to disrupt transnational organised crime engaging in SMS phishing.

“Our focus continues to be on making Australia a much harder target for economic crime, including fraud and scams. We aim to maximise protections for consumers against the threat of overseas CNP fraud. As this work continues, we also urge consumers to take steps to support their own online security. Specifically, it is important to exercise caution when responding to emails, text messages or online advertising links to online shopping sites, particularly overseas sites,” Mr White said.

In line with its focus on payment system security and resilience, AusPayNet is also leading an industry-wide security upgrade of the card payments system from Triple Data Encryption Standard (TDES) to Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) cryptography, an initiative that will position Australia as a global leader in cryptographic modernisation and post-quantum computing preparation.

The 2025 Australian Payment Fraud Report is available at AusPayNet's website.