Crime and criminal justice statistics
Fraud
As information about fraud and deception-related crime is not collected by the ABS, the data presented below has been extracted from information published by state and territory police agencies. The classifications of fraud and deception-related offences include cheque and credit card fraud, fraudulent trade practices, social security fraud, forgery, counterfeiting, bribery and other deception offences. Precise definitions may vary by state.
Fraud offences are recorded by the police on a financial year basis. Fraud is believed to be one of the most under-reported offences with less than 50% of incidents being reported to police or other authorities. (Source: Australian crime : facts and figures 2005)
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| Sources: Victoria Police 1992-2006. Victoria Police crime statistics (various issues). Melbourne: Victoria Police | |
| South Australia Police 1996-2006. Statistical review/Annual report (various issues). Adelaide: SAPOL | |
| Queensland Police Service 1992-2006. Annual statistical review (various issues). Brisbane: QPS | |
| New South Wales. Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research 1992-2006. New South Wales recorded crime statistics (various issues). Sydney: BOCSAR | |
| Western Australia Police 1992-2006. Western Australia Police Service annual crime statistics report (various issues). Perth: WAPS | |
| Tasmania. Department of Police and Emergency Management 1992-2006. Annual report of the Department of Police and Public Safety (various issues). Hobart: DPPS | |
| Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services 1992-2006. Annual report of the Police Force of the Northern Territory, Northern Territory Emergency Services, Fire Service of the Northern Territory (various issues). Darwin: NTPFES | |
| Australian Federal Police 2006. Annual report 2005-2006. Canberra: AFP | |
| 1995-96 | 91,495 |
| 1996-97 | 101,256 |
| 1997-98 | 109,404 |
| 1998-99 | 112,209 |
| 1999-00 | 112,264 |
| 2000-01 | 106,141 |
| 2001-02 | 109,080 |
| 2002-03 | 108,940 |
| 2003-04 | 102,863 |
| 2004-05 | 89,198 |
| 2005-06 | 101,222 |
- The overall trend in fraud, reported to and recorded by police over the twelve year period, has been relatively stable. The lowest number of fraud offences occurred in 2004-05.
Further information
Charts/fact sheets
- Selected crime profiles : fraud and deception-related crime (Chapter 2 from Australian crime : facts and figures 2006)
- Consumer scams in Australia
- Corruption Perceptions Index 2005 : 10 least corrupt countries
- Characteristics of serious fraud offenders
- Fraud risk factors
Other publications, surveys and data sources
Australia
- Personal fraud survey
Australian Bureau of Statistics - Personal fraud Australia, 2007
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra : Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2008 - Australian computer crime and security survey
AusCERT, AHTCC and Australian police agencies, 2002-2006 - Fraud survey 2006 (PDF 606kB) | Fraud survey 2004 (PDF 2.3MB) | Fraud survey 2002, Australia and New Zealand | 1999 fraud survey | 1997 fraud survey
KPMG - Global economic crime survey
Pricewaterhouse Coopers - What lies behind the growth in fraud?
Marilyn Chilvers, NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2002 - The phantom menace : setting the record straight about online credit card fraud (PDF 564kB)
Australian Computer Society, Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts and National Office for the Information Economy, 2000 - Fraud : what response?
Russell G Smith, 1999 - Measuring the extent of fraud in Australia
Russell Smith, 1997 - Fraud against organisations in Victoria : summary of findings from a survey of medium and large organisations in 1994
Kevin O'Toole, Neville Millen and Ranjut Murugason, Deakin University 1994
Other countries and international
Related links
- Statistics: Cybercrime; Piracy and intellectual property offences
- Topic: Fraud and corporate crime