ANZ's Scam Assist team have today revealed the complex and sensitive work they undertake to combat scam threats and assist customers in a video series published to bluenotes.
The content builds on ANZ's ongoing committment to inform customers and the broader community of the threats posed by scams.
In the twelve months to 30 September 2024, total ANZ customer scam losses fell by around 46 per cent and the number of scam events decreased by around 28 per cent. Over that time, ANZ has prevented more than $140 million of customer funds going to cybercriminals.
Ruth Talalla, ANZ Scam Portfolio Lead said: "There's a scam out there for everyone, including me. Scams have become more and more sophisticated - it's sophisticated call centres, they're well-run businesses, they'll have amazing looking websites. In some cases, scammers are the victims of human trafficking and are forced to work in scam call centres.
"Our Customer Protection teams are always looking out for what the next scam is likely to be. We hope to empower customers to have the knowledge to be able to spot a scam and ultimately, we want to make Australia the hardest place for scammers to operate," she said.
Scam Assist Officers, Chantara Lowe and Reza Ebrahimi, have first-hand experience working with customers impacted by cybercriminals.
Lowe said: "I've seen people from every walk of life fall victim to a scam - people who thought it could never happen to them.
"Scams are continually evolving, so we're always trying to find ways we can work together to prevent scammers from being successful," she said.
Ebrahimi said: "For me, this isn't just a job - it's a place where I actually get to help people."
The videos can be viewed on ANZ bluenotes here.
