Australian Federal Police Launches 'ClickFit' Campaign to Combat Cybercrime

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) -led Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre (JPC3) has unveiled ‘ClickFit’, a national awareness campaign urging Australians to slow their scroll and pause before clicking suspicious links and to check for warning signs of scams. This move aims at curbing the rise of cybercrime driven by unsafe online habits.

‘ClickFit’ campaign, launched by the Australian Federal Police

Backed by all state and territory police forces, ClickFit comes as new findings from the Australian Institute of Criminology’s Cybercrime in Australia 2024 report, which revealed that only 8% of malware victims and 22% of fraud and scam victims reported incidents to police. Many believed their cases were either too small or hopeless to pursue.

AFP Acting Commander of Cybercrime Operations Marie Andersson said cybercriminals routinely exploit everyday online behaviors, but simple changes could help Australians break the cycle. 

Running over 12 months, the campaign targets four major cybercrime threats:

• Business email compromise
• Romance scams
• Investment scams
• Impersonation scams

ClickFit promotes six practical steps to strengthen online safety:

• Use strong passphrases: Long, unique passwords for every account
• Enable multi-factor authentication: Adds a second layer of protection
• Install software updates: Keeps devices and apps secure
• Stay alert to scams: Monitor emerging threats
• Pause before clicking: Avoid impulsive actions that scammers exploit
• Verify sources: Confirm legitimacy before clicking links or making payments

Regulatory bodies worldwide have launched anti-fraud awareness campaigns. In July, Meta partnered with Thailand’s SEC to launch “Protect Yourself from Investment Scams,” while India’s SEBI rolled out “SEBI vs SCAM” to bolster investor protection. Earlier in April, the U.S. SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy introduced a public campaign highlighting the financial risks of relationship-based investment scams.

Suspected fraud can be reported to BrokersView to help expose scams and prevent further victimization.