Fraud Statistics Jan 18 - Dec 18
The data shows a decline in the rate of card fraud
We collect payments fraud statistics from Australia’s financial institutions and major card schemes twice-yearly to help inform business and consumers about fraud issues.
The data for 2018 has shown a decline in the rate of fraud for the first time since reporting of card fraud commenced in 2006.
The rate of card fraud for the 12 months to 31 December was 72.8 cents per $1,000 of card spending, down from 75.0c per $1,000 in the previous period.
The data show:
- a continued decline in counterfeit/skimming fraud, down by 37% to $19.5 million, the lowest ever level recorded.
- a decline in the growth of card-not-present (CNP) fraud; the increase in 2018 was 2.4%, compared to 13.9% the previous year.
The improved card fraud figures come as online retailers and payment service providers adjust to a new framework for reducing CNP fraud that took effect on 1 July 2019.
For further information on this data release, please see the accompanying Media Release.
Australian Payment Card Fraud 2019 Report Fraud Statistics for Jan - Dec 2018 (Revised October 2020)Fraud Perpetrated on Australian Cheques and Cards
1 January 2018 - 31 December 2018 (Revised October 2020)
| Fraud Transactions | Total Transactions | Fraud Rates | ||||
| Number | Value | Number (millions) | Value (millions) | as % of total no. of transactions | as % of total value ($) of transactions | |
| Cheques | 591 | $4,374,367 | 72 ^ | $885,147 ^ | 0.0008% | 0.0005% |
| Australian-issued cards | 4,369,431 | $576,200,244 | 9,988 | $788,647 | 0.0437% | 0.0731% |
| Proprietary debit cards | 52,398 | $13,388,243 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Scheme credit, debit and charge cards | 4,317,033 | $562,812,001 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total | 4,370,022 | $580,574,611 | 10,060 | $1,673,794 | 0.0434% | 0.0347% |
Cheque Fraud Perpetrated in Australia
1 January 2018 - 31 December 2018
| Category | Actual | Exposure | Recoveries* |
| On-Us Fraud | Transactions | Value ($) | Transactions | Value ($) | Value ($) |
| Valueless | 4 | 304,500 | 505 | 12,313,398 | 1,505,549 |
| Fraudulently Altered | 148 | 1,176,640 | 346 | 2,555,334 | 182,231 |
| Stolen Blank Cheque / Book | 357 | 1,469,335 | 1,726 | 1,111,851,738 | 396,562 |
| Originated Counterfeit Cheques | 20 | 211,395 | 95 | 2,475,297 | 1,108,784 |
| Non-originated Counterfeit Cheques | 19 | 149,876 | 83 | 9,881,512 | 65,000 |
| Breach of Mandate | 2 | 430,652 | 9 | 1,411,731 | 5,000 |
| On-Us Total | 550 | 3,742,398 | 2,764 | 1,140,489,010 | 3,263,126 |
| Deposit Fraud | |||||
| Valueless | 23 | 207,741 | 275 | 5,796,815 | 474,494 |
| Valueless - Kite Flying | 8 | 394,050 | 14 | 1,586,920 | 424,675 |
| Third Party Conversion | 10 | 30,178 | 62 | 2,429,646 | 23,886 |
| Deposit Total | 41 | 631,969 | 351 | 9,813,381 | 923,055 |
| Total | 591 | 4,374,367 | 3,115 | 1,150,302,391 | 4,186,181 |
* Data on the 'transactions' of recoveries is not collected.
“Actual” losses can relate to “Exposure” during an earlier period. This explains why, in some reporting periods,actual losses may exceed exposure.
Proprietary Debit Card Fraud Perpetrated in Australia
1 January 2018 - 31 December 2018
| Category | Transactions | Value |
| Debit Card Fraud – PIN Used: | ||
| Lost/Stolen | 13,797 | 3,410,614 |
| Never Received | 2,577 | 1,183,484 |
| Counterfeit/Skimming | 19,121 | 6,191,491 |
| Other | 4,115 | 1,585,079 |
| PIN Used Total | 39,610 | 12,370,668 |
| Debit Card Fraud – PIN Not Used: | ||
| Lost/Stolen | 7,270 | 443,769 |
| Never Received | 3,119 | 186,011 |
| Counterfeit/Skimming | 463 | 149,786 |
| Other | 1936 | 238,009 |
| PIN Not Used Total | 12,788 | 1,017,575 |
| Total Debit Card Fraud | 52,398 | 13,388,243 |
Note: For fraudulent transactions initiated at ATMs, POS terminals and other devices, the above statistics incorporate all transactions where either "cheque" or "savings" was selected, regardless of the type of card used (that is debit card, 'combo’ card, scheme card etc). The number of fraud transactions does not represent the number of cards or consumers affected. Typically, multiple fraud transactions are made on a single card.
Scheme Credit, Debit and Charge Card Fraud
Perpetrated in Australia and Overseas on Australia-issued Cards
1 January 2018 - 31 December 2018 (Revised October 2019)
| Category | In Australia | Overseas | Total |
| Transactions | Value ($) | Transactions | Value ($) | Transactions | Value ($) | |
| Lost / Stolen | 371,919 | 33,005,256 | 87,925 | 18,773,520 | 461,844 | 51,779,240 |
| Never Received | 25,826 | 4,361,667 | 1,532 | 362,838 | 27,358 | 4,724,505 |
| Fraudulent Application | 5,972 | 1,905,795 | 1,367 | 417,470 | 7,339 | 2,323,265 |
| Counterfeit / Skimming | 22,350 | 5,126,247 | 39,404 | 8,144,794 | 61,754 | 13,271,040 |
| Card Not Present (CNP) | 2,044,919 | 258,589,138 | 1,708,814 | 230,452,467 | 3,753,733 | 489,041,605 |
| Other | 2,854 | 1,063,158 | 2,151 | 609,187 | 5,005 | 1,672,345 |
| Total | 2,475,840 | 304,051,260 | 1,841,193 | 258,760,740 | 4,317,033 | 562,812,001 |
Note: The number of fraud transactions does not represent the number of cards or consumers affected. Typically, multiple fraud transactions are made on a single card.
Fraud Perpetrated in Australia on Cards issued Overseas
| Category | Transactions | Value ($) |
| Lost / Stolen | 24,628 | 3,265,740 |
| Never Received | 1,147 | 111,292 |
| Fraudulent Application | 1,765 | 145,767 |
| Counterfeit / Skimming | 21,979 | 5,806,961 |
| Card Not Present (CNP) | 378,334 | 71,490,622 |
| Other | 4,465 | 1,448,466 |
| Total | 432,318 | 82,268,848 |
Note: The number of fraud transactions does not represent the number of cards or consumers affected. Typically, multiple fraud transactions are made on a single card.
