Westpac is urging Australians to be on alert for scams, with criminals increasingly exploiting high growth locations and older customers in suburbs across the country. In an effort to boost scam awareness and help more Australians spot a scam, Westpac has revealed the postcodes with the most scam cases.
The data, based on reports to Westpac, reveals the most scammed postcodes across the country contain fast-growing suburbs such as Liverpool, Campbelltown and Gosford in New South Wales and Tarneit and Werribee in the western suburbs of Melbourne.
Postcodes with the highest reported scam cases:
- Australia-wide: 2170 (Liverpool), 3029 (Tarneit), 2250 (Gosford), 2560 (Campbelltown), 3030 (Werribee)
- New South Wales: 2170 (Liverpool), 2250 (Gosford), 2560 (Campbelltown), 2145 (Greystanes), 2259 (Hamlyn Terrace)
- Victoria: 3029 (Tarneit), 3030 (Werribee), 3977 (Cranbourne), 3064 (Craigieburn), 3150 (Glen Waverley)
- Queensland: 4350 (Toowoomba), 4870 (Cairns), 4215 (Southport), 4217 (Surfers Paradise), 4211 (Nerang)
- Western Australia: 6210 (Mandurah), 6112 (Armadale), 6163 (Hamilton Hill), 6065 (Landsdale), 6530 (Geraldton)
- South Australia: 5162 (Morphett Vale), 5159 (Happy Valley), 5114 (Craigmore), 5108 (Salisbury), 5290 (Mount Gambier)
- Australian Capital Territory: 2615 (MacGregor), 2617 (Belconnen), 2611 (Coombs), 2913 (Ngunnawal), 2602 (Lyneham)
While scam numbers are naturally higher in states with larger populations, the rate of scams is highest in Western Australia and Queensland at 3.6 and 3.5 scams reported per 1,000 customers respectively.
Westpac's Head of Fraud Prevention, Ben Young is urging all Australians to be wary.
"Our data shows scammers aren't letting location limit what they do, with impacts seen in all corners of the country," Mr Young said.
"The scams reported to us stretch from the fast-growing suburbs of Western Sydney where there is a relatively new hub of economic activity, to the tourist centre of Surfers Paradise and over to the West. The current scam-demic we're facing is widespread."
"We're finding scammers are having the biggest impact in communities with increasing economic activity, or those with ageing populations," added Mr Young.
Over the past two years, Westpac has invested more than $100 million in new prevention and detection measures to help combat scams, including Westpac SaferPay and Westpac Verify. To further support customers, Westpac is hosting scam workshops in branches across the country and has launched a new online workshop to help Australians spot scams.
While scammers don't discriminate when it comes to the age of their targets, the data reveals 61 to 75-year-olds reported the highest number of scams - accounting for almost one third (32%) of all reported cases.
The top scam types driving the largest losses are investment scams, followed by business email compromise scams, remote access scams, romance scams and impersonation scams.
"Scammers aren't necessarily out there stalking the streets of these postcodes. They're constantly evolving the way they target people, with many scams originating online or on social media platforms," Mr Young said.
"This includes investment scams which account for around fifty per cent of all losses, as well as various buying and selling scams which evolve with the latest trends. These scams need to be shut down at the source.
"Regardless of where our customers live, we're continuing to invest in new ways to detect scams digitally and improve education and support through our branches and digital channels," Mr Young concludes.
Tips to help protect yourself from scammers
- Never give out your personal or financial information to anyone you don't know or trust.
- Don't click on links or open attachments in unsolicited emails, text messages, or social media messages.
- Do your research before buying anything online and check the seller's reputation and reviews.
- Always phone a company to check the payment details are correct before paying an invoice.
- Be wary of offers that sound too good to be true.
- Don't send money or gift cards to someone you've never met in person, no matter how convincing their story is.
- Phone a family member or friend if you're unsure about anything.
