Cybercrime Victims Face ‘Massive Unmet Need’ for Support, Research Institute Says

The scale of cybercrime and the number of victims it creates mean law enforcement is struggling to keep up, a parliamentary inquiry has been told.

The Australian Institute of Criminology's Research Manager Anthony Morgan, and Deputy Director Rick Brown, appear before the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement in Canberra, Australia, on Jun. 11, 2026. Screenshot from parliamentary proceedings

A parliamentary inquiry into capability of law enforcement to respond to cybercrime has been told there is a “massive unmet need” for support among Australians affected by cybercrime due to the sheer volume of offences and the large number of people targeted.

According to the Australian Institute of Criminology’s (AIC) most recent survey in 2024, about 47 percent of the population reported being victims of cybercrime in the previous 12 months, while two-thirds said they had experienced some form of cybercrime during their lifetime.