Plastic pain: 1 in 6 have had their cards skimmed in the past year
Millions of Australians have had their credit or debit card number stolen, according to new research by Finder.
A Finder survey of 1,049 respondents revealed 17% of Australians – equivalent to 3.6 million people – have had their credit or debit card number stolen and used by someone else in the past 12 months.
One in ten (10%) say they reported the incident, while 4% admit they didn't.
A further 3% didn't realise until later that they'd been scammed.
The research found a further 7% have had this happen to them but more than 12 months ago.
Rebecca Pike, money expert at Finder, said scammers are becoming increasingly more sophisticated in their techniques.
"It seems almost impossible for someone to steal your credentials without having your physical card, but it happens quite often.
"Phishing is one of the most common schemes scammers will use to coerce you into providing your credit card information willingly, but there are also a number of other ways scammers are targeting vulnerable individuals.
"Unsecure public wifi networks, as well as card skimming machines are also responsible for allowing thieves to copy card information and use it to make fraudulent purchases."
Pike urged individuals to be more vigilant when it comes to monitoring your account activity.
"Check your account activity frequently so you can report something suspicious as soon as it happens.
"Opt in to receive alerts when you make transactions – most companies have fraud detection systems in place to notify you if they suspect a suspicious charge.
"Take every step you can to minimise the risk – don't save passwords on sites, be really certain you can trust anywhere you enter your card into and check ATMs for skimmers.
"Importantly, don't give your card information to anyone over the phone or via text or email – if someone calls and asks for your number over the phone, assume it's a scam," Pike said.
| In the past 12 months, have you ever had your credit card or debit card card number stolen and used by someone else? | |
|---|---|
| Yes, and I reported it | 10% |
| Yes, but I didn't report it | 4% |
| Yes, but I didn't realise until later that I'd been scammed | 3% |
| I'm not sure | 3% |
| No, but this has happened to me more than 12 months ago | 7% |
| No | 73% |
| Source: Finder survey of 1,049 respondents, July 2024 |
Methodology
- Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker is a monthly recurring nationally representative survey of more than 60,000 respondents.
- Figures in this release are based on 1,049 respondents from July 2024.
- The Consumer Sentiment Tracker is owned by Finder and operated by Qualtrics, an SAP company.
- The survey has been running monthly since May 2019.