One of the primary goals of our collaboration and data sharing is to disrupt scams.

Disruption can:

  • prevent contact
  • stop contact where it has already happened
  • prevent payment.

It can focus on disrupting the scammer or the victim. For example, a bank stopping payments into a scammer's bank account or warning someone who tries to pay into that account.

Prosecuting criminals is important, but enforcement on its own won’t stop this widespread financial crime. Scam investigations take considerable time and can be complex. They often involve international cooperation. This can take many months or years.

Disruption at scale cuts them off fast and deters other scammers from those methods.

We can’t share information that could help scammers to get around our prevention and disruption efforts, but here are some ways we are working together to disrupt scams.

Fusion cells

Our fusion cells unite industry and government to focus on a specific, damaging type of scam affecting Australian communities.

These targeted groups work together to:

  • learn more about the scam type
  • trial and accelerate different methods of disrupting these scams
  • execute new and innovative ways to shut down these scams and stop others from happening.

Job and employment scams fusion cell

We're coordinating a fusion cell to to disrupt criminal groups advertising or offering jobs that do not exist. See more detail about the employment scams fusion cell.

Investment scams fusion cell

Our first fusion cell focused on investment scams. It tested new methods of preventing criminals from connecting with Australians and stealing their money and personal information.

The fusion cell stopped millions of dollars being lost through imposter bonds and term deposits.

Find out more about our fusion cells

    Scam website takedowns

    We have commenced a scam website takedown service targeting, among other things, phishing scams and online shopping scams.

    With the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)’s takedown of investment scam websites, we are working together to provide broader protection for Australians against online scams.

     

    Money mule disruption: case study

    In February 2024, we received a report from a victim who lost $1.6 million to an imposter bond scam.

    The victim believed their funds were being deposited into a term deposit account. The funds were actually going to an account controlled by scammers.

    Our staff contacted the bank of the account controlled by the scammer that day.

    We liaised with Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) and Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre (JPC3). Searches found the scammer’s account had also received $1.5 million from a second victim and $40,000 from a third. They had already transferred over $3.14 million of the victims’ money to the United Kingdom.

    National Anti-Scam Centre staff seconded to the JPC3 conducted AUSTRAC research and found another account held by the same money mule with a different bank. They had sent over $340,000 to the United Kingdom from this account.

    After we notified that bank, banking staff found a second account linked by common payees in the United Kingdom. They placed restrictions on both accounts.

    The money mules' details were shared for law enforcement action.