Learn about the AIC Fraud Census

The Australian Institute of Criminology

The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) is Australia’s national research and knowledge centre on crime and justice. It compiles trend data and publishes research and policy advice. It also informs crime and justice policy and practice in Australia by undertaking, funding and publishing relevant research of national significance. It does this by creating a crime and justice evidence base and by establishing a national knowledge centre.

How fraud reporting began

In March 1987, a review was undertaken of how fraud is dealt with in the Commonwealth following community concern about taxation and welfare fraud. This led to the creation of the Fraud Control Policy of the Commonwealth in 1994 which included a reporting system to monitor trends in Commonwealth fraud.

AIC and the Fraud Census

Information on fraud against the Commonwealth was first collected by the Attorney-General’s Department in 1995. The AIC took over this role in 2006. Since that time, the AIC has conducted the annual Fraud Census and produced a number of insightful publications based on statistics on fraud experienced by Commonwealth entities and how fraud risks are managed across the Commonwealth.

In 2025, for the first time, the census included questions about corruption along with amended definitions of fraud and corruption. These changes aligned the census to the Commonwealth Fraud and Corruption Control Framework and the National Anti‑Corruption Commission Act 2022. The expanded scope provides greater insight into the scale and nature of both fraud and corruption impacting Commonwealth entities and a more complete picture of integrity risks.

Who responds to the Fraud Census

The Commonwealth Fraud and Corruption Control Framework requires all non-corporate Commonwealth entities to collect information on fraud and corruption, and to provide that information in a form and by a date requested by the AIC.

Completing the census is not mandatory for corporate Commonwealth entities or Commonwealth companies, but it is considered best practice and will help build a more comprehensive evidence base of fraud and corruption facing the Commonwealth.

Where to find out more information about the Fraud Census

Find the most recent Fraud against the Commonwealth 2023-24 census results on the AIC website.

Fraud census results for previous years are also available on the AIC website.

If you have questions about the census, you can email them to commonwealthfraud@aic.gov.au.