Key Points:

- There have been over 10,170 cases of scams that started on social media reported to IDCARE between 1 January and 26 October, with financial losses exceeding $122 million. 

- The majority of these scams started on Facebook. 

- IDCARE is pleased to support a new “Legit or Leg it” scams awareness campaign launched by Meta to increase awareness of a scammer’s tactics on their platform. 

‍

Cyber criminals are always evolving their tactics to get people to engage with them. In 2021, the most reported contact method was the telephone, in 2022 and 2023 it shifted to SMS and this year it has shifted again to social media platforms. 

IDCARE has received 10,170 reports of scams that started on a social media platform this year so far – more than double the number of scams that started via a text message (3,971 reports) and nearly double those that started via a phone call (5,607). 

The financial losses reported from scams that started on asocial media platform were also staggering with over $122 million reported this year so far. Most of these scams started on Facebook (6,700). 

IDCARE has been working with Meta to increase awareness about scams on their platform and methods to keep social media accounts safe. 

Today, we are partnering in Meta’s “Legit or Leg it” scams awareness campaign which aims to educate Facebook users how to spot a scam, and shares tips to stay safe. 

National Manager - Outreach and Engagement, Kathy Sundstrom,said the campaign was important to raise awareness about scams that unfold on social media. 

“We are pleased Meta is taking proactive steps to increase awareness on its platforms,” she said. 

“IDCARE hasn’t been paid by Meta to share this campaign. We agreed to partner with Meta in the messaging – and received ad credits to assist with this campaign only - as we recognise the value of Meta sharing content on its own platform, and helping to protect users from the harm that scams cause. 

“We are grateful that Meta is doing more in the Australian context to stop scams that start on its platform.” 

The campaign will be extensively sponsored across Meta and IDCARE’s Facebook pages from 29 October.   

IDCARE received funding from Meta as well as ANZ and Westpac to run our recent Cyber Resilience Outreach Clinics (CROC) in the Northern Territory. This is a separate initiative to increase resilience in vulnerable communities. 

For media enquiries, please contact Kathy Sundstrom on media@idcare.org 

‍

‍

‍