FRAUD TASKFORCE CONTINUES THE FIGHT AGAINST FRAUD WITH BUSINESS EDUCATION PROGRAM

Sydney, 15 April, 2004: The Australian Bankers’ Association Fraud Taskforce today unveiled a major education program for businesses to tackle credit card fraud and skimming.

The program, one of the most comprehensive education programs devised for the small business sector in Australia, consists of new videos and other education materials which will be rolled out to tens of thousands of merchants over the next month, through their banks.

The education program was launched in Sydney today along with two other fraud prevention announcements including:

the Federal Government’s initiatives on how consumers can protect themselves from identity fraud, presented by the Minister for Justice and Customs, Senator Chris Ellison;
the increased reward money Visa is offering business people who detect and report counterfeit Visa credit cards at the point of sale, presented by Visa Country Risk Manager, Australia & New Zealand, Ian McKindley.

David Bell, Chief Executive of the Australian Bankers’ Association (ABA), said: “The material in the education campaign is simple and direct and will help equip small businesses with the tools they need to maintain their vigilance in the fight against fraud.”

“Education and communication are key weapons in this fight by ensuring that everyone is on the look out and thus minimise the risk of fraud,” he said.

Development of the material was led by the National Australia Bank, who worked with the ABA, other banks, and credit card schemes such as Visa International, to further develop the concept. The content has been made available to all Taskforce members, and can be made available to other organisations on request.

To minimise the incidence of credit card fraud merchants are being advised by the campaign to take simple steps such as:

Looking out for unusual shopping behaviour;
Making sure the card number on the printed receipt matches the number on the actual card;
Being suspicious of large or unusual phone or internet orders, especially from overseas;
Checking the security features on the card;
Keeping your terminal secure at all times.

In relation to skimming, the advice includes:

Knowing who you are employing and ask for proof of identity;
Watching out for strange devices around the EFTPOS machine;
Ensuring the card is kept in the customer’s sight at all times.

The Fraud Taskforce was formed by the ABA in December 2002 and has been working on a number of important initiatives. The Taskforce comprises of Banks’ Heads of Fraud and Security, Australian Federal Police, Police Services from all states and the ACT, Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club and American Express, Credit Union Services Corporation (CUSCAL), Australian Payments Clearing Association (APCA), Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC), Insurance Australia Group (IAG) and Cardlink Services.

Mr Bell said: “This is an excellent example of what cooperation and collaboration between Taskforce members has been able to deliver and is one reason why the Taskforce has become a centre of expertise on fraud in Australia in a relatively short time.”

“The Taskforce has taken on a very significant set of challenges, and has already delivered benefits to banks and other financial institutions, and importantly, to their customers.”

“The work of the Fraud Taskforce will continue and as the nature of the threat of fraud is constantly shifting, the Taskforce is broadening its scope and taking on new projects to address new and emerging threats, particularly those related to cybercrime,” Mr Bell said.

For further information:

Heather Wellard

ABA Public Relations

Phone: 02 8298 0411

Mobile: 0409 830 439

ENDS