BioCatch partners with Australian banks on launch of fraud and scams intelligence-sharing network

ANZ, CBA, NAB, Suncorp Bank, Westpac form inaugural core of BioCatch Trust™ partners

SYDNEY, Nov. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ), Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), National Australia Bank (NAB), Suncorp Bank (Norfina Limited), and Westpac today announced they'd joined BioCatch Trust™ Australia, a pilot of the world's first inter-bank, behavior- and device-based, fraud and scams intelligence-sharing network.

BioCatch Trust™ adds an additional layer of behavioural- and device-based protection for customers at the above-named banks against fraud and scams, by assessing in real time the potential risks associated with the accounts to which customers direct their domestic online payments within BioCatch Trust™ Australia. If the network identifies risks associated with a receiving account, BioCatch provides this intelligence to the sending bank in real time, allowing the sending institution to review the transaction before any money leaves the sender's account.

"Fraud and scam payments are nearly always transferred to mule accounts through which the criminal funnels their profits before withdrawing them," BioCatch CEO Gadi Mazor said. "When the sending and receiving banks involved in these transactions share intelligence to identify potential money mules, it should reduce the number of customers who fall victim to scams and make a substantial dent in the ability of criminals to move their illegally attained money. We know the criminals behind these attacks swap tactics, strategies, intelligence, and technology with other rival cybercriminals. We're proud to now offer Australian banks an opportunity to join their own intelligence-sharing network to fight back."

BioCatch Trust™ combines behavioral intelligence with digital session, payment, account, device, and non-monetary event intelligence to assess the potential risks of receiving accounts on the network before an eligible payment is processed. This helps financial institutions prevent those types of scams where the fraudster manipulates the victim outside of a digital banking session (many scams originate via an email, text message, or social media post). BioCatch Trust™ accomplishes this while utilising proven pseudonymisation technology to help protect the identities of those customers within the BioCatch Trust™ network.

The strength of the BioCatch Trust™ network improves with each new financial institution that joins. As more banks contribute account intelligence, the system grows smarter and more effective, offering deeper insights and broader coverage. This collective intelligence helps to protect against existing, unknown, and emerging threats, significantly enhancing fraud detection across the Australian banking ecosystem.

BioCatch Trust™ complements existing networks that share information after a scam has taken place, assisting the sending bank to make real-time risk assessments of receiving accounts before the sender transfers away any money.

Commentary from participating banks:

"Scams are a widespread issue and a scourge on our community," ANZ Head of Customer Protection Shaq Johnson said. "At ANZ, and across the banking sector, we must continue to invest in prevention and detection measures to help keep our customers safe from cybercriminals. BioCatch Trust™ is another capability we can adopt to help us in the continued fight against scams and fraud. We're pleased to be part of the pilot and look forward to seeing how we can leverage the risk indicators and insights this tool offers to complement our existing anti-scam capabilities."

"There's always more we can do to protect Australians from scammers, and joining BioCatch Trust™ builds on the anti-scam innovations that CBA has already implemented to better protect Australians," CBA Head of Group Fraud James Roberts said. "BioCatch Trust™ is the first time banks have been able to share information in real time before a payment is made. In a world-first, this will help protect Australians from losing money to scammers. CBA welcomes the continued sharing of anti-scam intelligence – both with other banks and also across broader industry, including social media companies and telcos through the anti-scam intelligence loop."

"Scams are the plague of our times," NAB General Manager of Group Investigations Chris Sheehan said. "We must take action to make Australia a tougher place for criminals to be successful. This is a global first and a great example of how Australia is embracing innovation and strategic partnerships to stop criminals in their tracks. We look forward to seeing this technology in action to help us protect customers and detect scams at scale, in real time."

"Suncorp Bank is proud to be part of this innovative collaboration, which highlights the investment being made to protect banking customers from scammers," Suncorp Bank Executive Manager of Financial Crime Operations and Strategy Paul Gardner said. "All financial institutions have a critical role to play in the fight against scammers, and the work delivered as part of this project is another important step towards further protection for all Australians."

"Stopping scams is one of our highest priorities," Westpac Head of Fraud Prevention Ben Young said, "so we're pleased to add an extra layer of protection for customers. Working closely with other banks and providers in the ecosystem is our best bet for making Australia a harder place for scammers to operate."

About BioCatch:

BioCatch stands at the forefront of digital fraud detection, pioneering behavioral biometric intelligence grounded in advanced cognitive science and machine learning. BioCatch analyzes thousands of user interactions to support a digital banking environment where identity, trust, and ease coexist. Today, 34 of the world's largest 100 banks and 237 total financial institutions rely on BioCatch Connect™ to combat fraud, facilitate digital transformation, and grow customer relationships. BioCatch's Client Innovation Board – an industry-led initiative featuring American Express, Barclays, Citi Ventures, HSBC, and National Australia Bank – collaborates to pioneer creative and innovative ways to leverage customer relationships for fraud prevention. With more than a decade of data analysis, 93 registered patents, and unmatched expertise, BioCatch continues to lead innovation to address future challenges. For more information, please visit www.biocatch.com.

PR contacts:

Mac KingBioCatch senior communications managerMac.King@BioCatch.com

Amanda SchultzANZ media and public relations managerAmanda.Schultz@anz.com

CBA Media media@cba.com.au

Amelia HarrisNAB senior communications advisorAmelia.Harris@nab.com.au

Emily ArnoldSuncorp BankSuncorp senior corporate affairs advisorEmily.Arnold@suncorpbank.com.au

Brooke DavieWestpac mediaBrooke.Davie@westpac.com.au

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