Suncorp partners with IDCARE to protect customers from cyber crime

IDCARE is an Australian and New Zealand service which supports people facing identity and cybersecurity concerns. Suncorp’s Executive General Manager, Deposits & Payments, Bruce Rush said the Bank identified a need to provide ongoing support to customers who were victims of scams and fraud.

“Every day the team found they were talking to customers who were experiencing fraudulent activity," Mr Rush said "While we could help them identify the issue and take steps to protect their accounts and funds, we weren’t in a position to help them recover from what can be a very traumatic and emotional experience,” said Mr Rush.

"We want to help our customers get back on their feet as quickly as possible after experiencing a scam, and the best thing we could do is put them in contact with experts who specialise in providing tailored advice and response plans developed to the customer’s needs and circumstances – which is where IDCARE comes in."

Managing Director and founder of IDCARE, Professor David Lacey said that IDCARE’s service is the only one of its type in the world.

“Being victim to cyber-related crime can be devastating financially and emotionally, and can take years to recover from one of these events. We are here to help Australians and New Zealanders reduce the harm they experience from the misuse of their identity information by providing effective response and mitigation,” Professor Lacey said.

“We can connect members of the community with identity and cybersecurity counsellors who can provide advice on how best to respond a range of incidents including data breaches, ID theft, the full spectrum of digital scams and other cybersecurity concerns.” 

Manager of Financial Crime Investigation, Sarah Dreaver said Suncorp’s Customer Protect team is at the frontline, speaking to customers who experience scams and their devastating consequences every day.

“Scams do not discriminate. We find the people impacted by these crimes can be young, elderly, families, and from many different cultural, educational, and employment backgrounds,” Ms Dreaver said. 

“Assuming a customer’s identity is very common and there are so many different types of scams; romance, employment, investment. Perpetrators are getting more creative and smarter and the disturbing thing is that often people don’t even know it’s happening to them until we notify them of unusual activity on their accounts.

“Being victim to a scam is nothing to be embarrassed about, but it’s important to get the right help quickly, which is why our partnership with IDCARE is so valuable as it strengthens how we can support our customers through the difficult scams journey.”