The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has released new figures on scams and identity theft, with the data showing more than 40 per cent of the most serious incidents are going unreported .  But while more people were exposed to scams in the 2021-22 financial year than in previous years, the percentage of people falling victim to them decreased.  Which may mean we’re getting better at spotting scams.  The ABS releases personal fraud data every few years, with Wednesday’s update looking at the 2021-22 financial year. The previous release was from 2020-21. ABS data shows  bank card fraud was the most common type of scam during the period, with  people aged 35 to 44 being the most likely to experience it.  Here’s a breakdown of the data.  What is personal fraud? How to avoid used-car scams Mark was close to buying a used car until he received a legal threat. Now his details are with scammers. Read more The ABS broke the topic down into four categories: Card fraud:  The use of credit, debit, or EFTPOS card details to make purchases or withdraw cash without the account owner’s permission Scams:  A fraudulent invitation, request, notification, or offer designed to obtain personal information or money, or otherwise obtain a financial benefit by deceptive means Online impersonation: When someone™s personal details have been purposefully misused to impersonate them online or by phone without their permission Identity theft: The use of someone’s personal details in stolen, fraudulent, or forged documents without permission, or otherwise illegally appropriating another’s identity Card fraud is the most common type of personal fraud, followed by scams and identity theft.  ( Supplied: Australian Bureau of Statistics ) This was the first year the ABS included data on online impersonation. It showed that 2.5 per cent of people experienced this, with men and women being affected at the exact same rate.  People aged 35 to 44 were the most likely to be affected, with those aged 65 and over being the least likely. The results came from the ABS’s annual Multipurpose Household Survey (MPHS), which was conducted throughout Australia from July 2021 to June 2022, with the Personal Fraud Survey being part of the research. What age groups are most affected? In terms of card fraud , people in the 35 to 44 and the 45 to 54 age groups were most likely to experience card fraud, with a victimisation rate of 10.2 and 9.9 per cent respectively.  People in the highest weekly household income bracket were more affected by card fraud than lower-income earners.  This graphs the age groups affected by card fraud.  ( Supplied: Australian Bureau of Statistics ) Age-wise, it’s a similar story for the scam statistics .  Here’s a look at the age brackets of people who were exposed to a scam: The scam exposure rate was fairly even across most of the age brackets.  ( Supplied: Australian Bureau of Statistics ) All up,  13.1 million Australians were exposed to a scam , meaning they received unsolicited invitations, requests, notifications or offers.  Of those, 12.3 million did not respond but 552,000 did .  What generation am I in? Gen Alpha:  Born 2011 to 2021, aged 1 to 11 Gen Z:  Born 1996 to 2010, aged 12 to 26 Millennials:  Born 1981 to 1995, aged 27 to 41 Gen X:  Born 1966 to 1980, aged 42 to 56 Boomers:  Born 1946 to 1965, aged 57 to 76 Interwar:  Born 1945 or earlier, aged 77 and older  * As defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census  That was an improvement on the previous year, ABS head of crime and justice statistics William Milne said. In 2021-22, 65 per cent of people received a scam offer or request, which was up from 55 per cent in the previous year. “While more people were exposed to scams this year, we found that the number responding to scams has actually decreased to 552,000,” Mr Milne said.  “The survey shows that 2.7 per cent of Australians responded to a scam in 2021-22, down from 3.6 per cent in 2020-21.” Data also showed people with qualifications, such as a certificate, diploma or degree, were more likely to be exposed to scams than those without.  Now, compare the scam exposure graph above to the  scam victimisation graph below: Gen X had the highest victimisation rate. ( Supplied: Australian Bureau of Statistics ) It shows people aged 45 to 64 were more likely to be victims of scams than those in older or younger age groups.  The 45 to 54 age bracket had a victimisation rate of 3.5 per cent, with the 55 to 64 group on 3.2 per cent.  Millennials came in third, with the 25 to 34 age group having a victimisation rate of 2.7 per cent. People with qualifications were slightly more likely to experience a scam, while people in capital cities had a slightly higher likelihood of falling victim compared to people who lived outside a capital city.  “Although we can’t say exactly why some age groups are more effected by card fraud than other, we do know that those aged between 15-24 and 65 and over are less likely to be victims of card fraud,” Mr Milne said. “We also know that those in the higher brackets of weekly income and those with higher levels of education are more at risk of card fraud. “As such, it might be useful to look at who has access to what financial products.” According to the ABS, the most common types of scams were phishing scams and buying or selling scams.  The surveyed people aged 15 and older, so younger Australians are not represented in these figures.  How to tell a loved one they’re being scammed A Relationships Australia expert explains. Read more How many scams get reported? Not every scam is reported, but the data suggests we’re slowly getting better at it.  But the data shows we’re slowly getting better at reporting scams.  Here’s a graph comparing the reporting of the most serious scam incidents from last financial year to the previous year. Across both years, people were more likely to report scams to their bank than the police.  ( Supplied: Australian Bureau of Statistics  ) In 2020/21, 50.3 per cent of major incidents weren’t reported.  But last financial year, 42.3 per cent of major incidents weren’t reported.  Most of these reports went to banks, with 32.2 per cent notifying their financial institution about a serious scam incident last financial year.  Compare that to just 13.9 per cent of reports going to police. Although, it’s possible some people reported scams to multiple authorities.  The ABS let respondents determine what their most serious scam incidents were, so the definitions could have varied greatly between participants.   Read more about scams in Australia: Rampant identity theft is turning scam victims like Ben into scapegoats for criminals Experts share their top tips on how to protect yourself against scams How do you report a scammer? People are encouraged to report scams to the ACCC’s Scamwatch , regardless of whether they’ve lost money or not.  You can report cybercrimes to police through the Australian Cyber Security Centre’s online reporting portal . If you’re concerned you’re a victim of identity theft, you can contact IDCARE , a not-for-profit charity that describes itself as Australia’s national identity and cyber support service. The ACCC also recommends Lifeline for crisis support to help with emotional distress about scams and Beyond Blue for support for anxiety and depression.  If you or anyone you know needs help: Transcend family peer support 0487 626 182 Lifeline on 13 11 14 Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800 MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978 Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 Loading…