Online fraud and scams are on the rise, even as overall cybercrime rates ease, with Australians scaling back key online safety behaviours for the second year in a row.
New data from the Australian Institute of Criminology's (AIC) 2025 Australian Cybercrime Survey shows fraud and scam victimisation is increasing, particularly among men and people aged 25 to 49.
Almost half of the more than 10,000 Australians surveyed experienced cybercrime in the past year, highlighting the scale of the issue across the community.
Small and medium businesses are increasingly being targeted, with one in four reporting they were a victim of cybercrime in the past year. The impacts are intensifying, with the proportion reporting effects on their staff nearly doubling in just 12 months.
Higher rates are also seen among younger Australians, First Nations people, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, people with restrictive health conditions, higher income earners, and small to medium business operators.
At the same time, the use of online safety strategies has declined over the past 12 months, leaving many Australians exposed.
"This research shows cybercrime is not only widespread, but evolving, with scams and fraud continuing to grow as Australians lower their online defences," AIC Deputy Director Rick Brown said.
"It reinforces the need for stronger awareness, better online habits, and continued investment in prevention to reduce the harm cybercrime is causing across the community."
Underreporting remains a significant challenge, with only around one in 10 victims reporting cybercrime to police or ReportCyber , and only one in eight reporting fraud and scams.
To report cybercrime or a cyber security incident such as identity theft, online fraud, cyber-enabled abuse, ransomware and malware - visit www.cyber.gov.au/report-and-recover/report , or call the Australian Cyber Security Hotline: 1300 Cyber1 (1300 292 371).
The full report is available on the AIC website .
AIC Media
02 6268 7343
