Editor’s note: Audio grabs of Commander Chris Goldsmid are available via Hightail.
The AFP is urging Australians to be cautious about unsolicited text messages, phone calls and emails this Scams Awareness Week (7-11 November).
The warning comes as the volume and severity of cyber attacks – including scams, ransomware and business email compromise – continues to increase across the globe.
Australia’s relative prosperity to other parts of the world and widespread internet connectivity make it an attractive target for cybercriminals seeking to maximise their profits.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commissioner (ACCC) reported Australians lost about $2 billion to scams in 2021, which was an 84 per cent increase compared to the previous year. The average loss in each instance was $12,742.
AFP Commander Cybercrime Operations Chris Goldsmid said cybercrime was the ‘break-and-enter’ of the 21st Century and scams, and cyber attacks more broadly, were on the rise as more services and the storing of personal data move online.
“Recent cyber attacks on several major businesses resulted in the release of personal data belonging to thousands of Australians, leaving them vulnerable to more targeted attacks,” Commander Goldsmid said.
“The tools and tactics of cybercriminals continue to evolve, but so does the AFP. The establishment of the AFP Cyber Command at the start of this year has already led to 35 disruption activities against criminal syndicates or…
