IMGCAP(1)]
Crooks in Australia initiated 48,132 fraudulent debit card transactions during the fiscal year ended June 30, up 8.3% from 44,452 the previous fiscal year, according to the Australian Payments Clearing Association. The value of the fraudulent debit card transactions during fiscal 2009 grew 23.2%, to AU$19.1 million (US$17.4 million or 11.9 million euros) from AU$15.5 million a year earlier, according to the data. The fraud represented AU8.5 cents per AU$1,000 transacted with debit cards, up from AU7.4 cents per AU$1,000 in fiscal 2008, according to the association. The incidence of debit card fraud, however, remained relatively unchanged at approximately two per every 100,000 transactions. In comparison, crooks initiated 418,465 fraudulent credit and charge card transactions in fiscal 2009, up 11.6% from 374,995 a year earlier. The value of the credit and charge card fraud rose 9.3% year over year, to AU$147.8 million from AU$135.2 million. Credit and charge card fraud represented AU52.8 cents per AU$1,000 transacted, up slightly from AU51.5 cents per AU$1,000, according to the data. The incidence of credit and charge card fraud rose to 24 per 100,000 transactions from 21 per 100,000. Card-skimming attacks at ATMs at payment terminals at the point of sale were the primary drivers behind the increase in Australia's debit card fraud, while card-not-present fraud drove most of credit and charge card fraud losses, according to the association.
