Australia’s banks are stepping up scam protections, with NAB introducing facial ID checks and Macquarie joining the BioCatch Trust network, amid warnings from the National Anti-Scam Centre, which reported $175 million in losses in the first half of 2025.
NAB will soon require new customers opening an account or product online to provide a selfie and scan their identification documents, as part of enhanced measures to combat scams and identity fraud.
Customers will need to hold their mobile phone up to their face to match the ID image, with the process rolling out across select products in September and expanding further in coming months.
NAB group chief operating officer Les Matheson (pictured left) said the new system would provide an additional line of defence.
“We still have more to do, but this is a simple and fast way we can help protect customers against fraud and scams,” Matheson said in a media release.
“This initiative will make it harder for criminals to open fraudulent accounts or apply for fraudulent credit cards using documents they’ve stolen from the dark web or from someone’s letter box. This sort of technology is already used for other services, including things like passport applications and we’ve designed the experience to be simple for customers to follow.”
He added that while NAB already uses behavioural biometrics and two million customers log in monthly with FaceID or fingerprints, the bank’s broader scam strategy recognises criminals are constantly adapting.
“While we must do more and we will, criminals operate beyond laws and regulations,” Matheson said. “That’s why every part of the scam ecosystem needs to remain focused on stopping the crime before it happens.”
In a parallel move, Macquarie Bank has joined the BioCatch TrustAustralia network – an interbank intelligence-sharing platform launched in late 2024 that now protects more than 85% of the country’s online banking customers.
The network enables banks to assess risk on the receiving end of payments in real time, potentially stopping money from leaving a victim’s account if a receiving account is flagged.
“As global fraud and scam activity becomes more sophisticated, we’ve continued to invest in our digital security and tools,” said David Sheehan (pictured right), Macquarie Bank’s head of client protection. “We know that security and trust are paramount for our customers, so we look forward to working with BioCatch Trust Australia to add another layer of security protection for Australians.
“As new technology becomes available, customer vigilance is still a key part of scam- and fraud-prevention, and it’s always been our view that it’s important that a broad range of impacted sectors take a collaborative, multi-sector approach when tackling scams and fraud. We think Trust Australia is a great example of bank collaboration in action.”
BioCatch CEO Gadi Mazor welcomed Macquarie’s addition: “Its commitment to innovation and customer protection strengthens our shared mission to disrupt scam operations and protect Australians from financial harm.”
The new banking protections come during Scams Awareness Week (Aug. 25–29), as the National Anti-Scam Centre reported Australians lost $175 million to scams in the first half of 2025, up 26% year-on-year despite a drop in overall reports.
“Technology is helping scammers reach more people than ever before and we see scams becoming more sophisticated and harder for people to detect,” said ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe.
“This Scams Awareness Week, we’re encouraging everyone to talk about scams, watch for the signs and remember three simple words that can help make all the difference: Stop. Check. Protect.”
With shopping scams the top category by volume, the centre urged buyers and sellers to verify details, avoid clicking suspicious links, and use secure payment methods.
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