The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has welcomed Budget funding to complete the setup of a National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC) over the next two years.
Deputy Chair of the ACCC, Catriona Lowe said the 2023-24 Budget allocated $58 million towards the Centre over the next two years.
“We’ll be using this funding to build the technology needed to support high frequency data sharing with a range of Agencies, law enforcement and the private sector, with the mission to make Australia a harder target for scammers,” Ms Lowe said.
“The Centre will bring together the expertise and resources to disrupt scammers making contact with Australians, raise consumer awareness about how to avoid scams, and link scam victims to services where they have lost money or had their identity compromised,” she said.
“Through increased sharing of scam reports and other initiatives, the Centre will help inform finance, telecommunications and digital platforms sectors to take more timely and effective steps to stop scammers.”
Ms Lowe said NASC would be phased in from 1 July this year, with capability, including data-sharing technology, to be built over the next three years.
She said work would also commence on the first fusion cell, which is to coordinate efforts across Government and the private sector to combat specific scam activity more effectively
“In the first year of operation, the National Anti-Scam Centre will work closely with ASIC in delivering its scam website takedown service and support ACMA to continue its important work in combatting telecommunications scams,” the Deputy Chair of ACCC said.
“We have received strong feedback that increased coordination of anti-scam efforts across Government, the finance and telecommunications sectors and digital platforms would make a significant impact on the fight against scams,” she said.
“This will be the NASC’s focus,” Ms Lowe said.
