Scams by numbers - 2022–23 scam data is now available

Did you know that your clients aged between 35-44 are the most likely to pay money to a scammer?

Scams are becoming increasingly harder for the community to identify. The 2022–23 scam data results are now available and they reflect a shift in how Australians are responding to fake emails, SMS and social media messages.

During this period, there were 25,609 ATO impersonation scams reported, an increase of over 25%. Despite the spike in this number, there has been a 75% decrease in the amount of money paid to scammers.

Scammers are becoming increasingly interested in harvesting personally identifying information (PII) rather than requesting payments. Divulging PII continues to be a way for scammers to compromise another’s identity, leading to difficulties with lodging tax returns and myGov logins. However, we saw a 71% decrease in people providing this information.

Please encourage your clients to stay vigilant, lock down their identity information and frequently sign into their online accounts to check for unusual changes.

(NB: Stopping scammers funds is the only way to stop them and the above shows we are learning. Keep up the good work!)

Latest scam data

2022–23 Scams by numbers

Last financial year our data shows:

There were 25,609 ATO impersonation scams reported to us, an increase of over 25%.
The amount of money paid to scammers decreased by 75%.
Only 28 people paid money to a scammer, a 66% decrease.
346 people divulged personal identifying information (PII), a decrease of 71%.
There has been a significant shift in the way scammers are contacting people – Email has increased by 179% and SMS contact has increased by 414%.
The shift toward SMS and email scams has seen an increase in targeted phishing scams, leading clients to fraudulent websites. In response, we have initiated 4,836 take downs of websites with AusCERT.
35–44-year old’s are now the most likely to pay money to a scammer, this has shifted from the younger demographic of 25–34 year old’s in the previous year.
25–34-year old’s have remained the age group that divulged the most PII to scammers.

Source: ATO

Mark Lisle

Mark is our managing partner and has been with the firm for over 36 years. He brings a wealth of experience in all areas of our business, including business advisory, taxation and self managed superannuation.

Mark’s ethos is that good advice stems from working closely with our clients and being prepared to go that extra step to assist them in meeting their goals and optimising their financial position.

Mark is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, an accredited SMSF Specialist and a registered SMSF auditor.

Outside of work, Mark enjoys trying to keep fit and spending time down at his “second home” in Port Fairy.

Josh Laing

Joshua began working at Rundles in 1999 whilst still completing his Bachelor of Business (Accountancy) degree at RMIT. After graduating in 2001 he was admitted to the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand in 2004. Joshua spent two years working in London before returning to Rundles in 2006.

Josh has a wealth of knowledge across a broad range of industries as well as in Self Managed Superannuation. Josh enjoys working with family groups and businesses to ensure they’re structured correctly to maximise asset protection, succession planning and management of tax.

Married with 2 children, Josh spends his weekends with his family and following the Tigers.

Brad Roach

Brad has been a part of the Rundles Team since 1996 and became a Partner of the firm in 2014. During his time at Rundles, Brad has developed a strong relationship with his clients across a wide range of industries and is dedicated to assisting them to reach their personal and business goals.

Brad is passionate about seeing his clients succeed and utilises his extensive experience in public practice to provide a holistic service to his clients. He also has a wealth of experience in superannuation, particularly self managed superannuation funds.

In his spare time, Brad likes to play a round of golf with friends and enjoys watching his two sons play various sports.

Peter Davison

Peter graduated from RMIT with a Bachelor of Business (Accountancy) with distinction in 1976. He joined Rundles upon graduating. Peter has been a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants since 1979 and a Fellow since 1991. As an active yachtie of many years, Peter can often be found on the water. Otherwise, he and his wife spend time with their friends and extended family.

Sandy Gilbert

Sandy was admitted to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in 1973 and has been a Fellow since 1983. He gained extensive experience in auditing and accounting services over seven years at Pannell Kerr Forster before joining Rundles in 1973. Sandy is married with three children. A former amateur footballer of some note, Sandy is still an avid follower of the game and enjoys weekends at his country retreat.