DIGI welcomes the 26% decrease in scams losses in Australia, and reduction in online scams
11 March 2025: The Digital Industry Group Inc. (DIGI) welcomes the release of the 2024 Targeting Scams report by the National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC), which highlights a 25.9% reduction in total scam losses in Australia in 2024 compared to 2023.
Reported losses from ‘online forums’ – including social media, online trading sites, professional forums, and dating platforms – have fallen by 25.6%, with a median loss of $330 (vs. $3900 for phone scams). Scams that consumers indicate originate from ‘the internet’ have also decreased by almost 61%.
DIGI Managing Director Sunita Bose said the report acknowledges the key role of collaborative efforts between industry, government, and law enforcement in disrupting scams and protecting consumers.
“The 2024 Targeting Scams report highlights progress in the fight against online scams, through significant reductions in scam losses. The report highlights the impact of industry initiatives, including the Australian Online Scams Code developed by DIGI and its members.”
Ms Bose said that while the report delivered significant progress in the fight against scammers, more needed to be done.
“While industry and government have implemented key initiatives that have had a tangible impact, scammers are relentless criminals – working to beat them at their game requires continued effort.”
“We need ongoing collaboration through the National Anti-Scam Centre, strong offshore law enforcement efforts to stop scams at the source, and continued public awareness. DIGI looks forward to working alongside the NASC and others in 2025 to continue to protect Australians from scams and to implement the new Scams Prevention Framework.”
Ms Bose said that data collection is key to refining scam prevention strategies, and that DIGI supports the NASC’s 2025 stated goal in the report to improve datasets.
“The broad and overlapping categories of ‘online forums’, ‘internet’ and ‘mobile apps’ may confuse consumers who are reporting scams, and hinder a better understanding of where exactly scams are presenting.”
The report highlights a 17.8% decrease in scam reports; DIGI encouraged all Australians to continue reporting scams to ensure accurate tracking and effective responses.
“Mainstream digital platforms have mechanisms to report potential scams to services so their specialist teams can review and respond to help remove scams. Clicking the ‘report’ button is a tangible way for Australians to help protect each other from scams. DIGI has a guide to making these reports on its website.”
About the Australian Online Scams Code
On 26 July 2024, leading companies in the tech industry announced the launch of a proactive code aimed at combating scam activity in Australia, developed by DIGI. The Australian Online Scams Code (AOSC) has been signed by Apple, Discord, Google, Meta, Snap, TikTok, Twitch, X and Yahoo as initial signatories. It is open to others to adopt as a proactive consumer protection measure. The Australian Online Scams Code offers a holistic response with 38 commitments grouped under nine key themes: blocking and takedown, advertiser verification measures and increased collaboration with Australia’s National Anti-Scam Centre. The code established immediate consumer protections and a blueprint for combatting scams in the digital industry in advance of the Government’s forthcoming mandatory industry codes.