Australia’s financial intelligence agency, AUSTRAC, announced on 13 May 2025 that it will expand the reach and capacity of its flagship Fintel Alliance. Since its inception in 2017, this pioneering public-private partnership has demonstrated extraordinary value in detecting and disrupting serious crime. As AUSTRAC CEO Brendan Thomas explains, no single organisation could achieve the same breakthroughs alone.

Fintel Alliance Collaboration Drives Real Intelligence

Pooling data from major banks, remittance services and gambling operators, the Fintel Alliance enables real-time analysis in collaboration with law enforcement and security agencies. In late 2024, for example, the alliance obtained every cash deposit transaction below AUD 10,000 from Australia’s four largest banks—over 50 million data points—and jointly examined them for suspicious patterns. With analysts from AUSTRAC and the banks working side by side, previously invisible criminal networks came into focus in just days, leading to swift law enforcement action.

“Together, we are able to do much more than any of us could do alone. Fintel Alliance members are working in partnership to fight financial crime—pooling data, sharing insights, and targeting major threats to strengthen financial systems and law enforcement action.”

This success underscores two core advantages of the alliance model:

• Speed: Real-time data sharing and joint analysis drastically reduce the time from detection to disruption.
• Scale: Integrating datasets that no single entity controls reveals complex, cross-institutional schemes.

Key Outcomes of the Intelligence Partnership

Since its launch, the Fintel Alliance has generated actionable intelligence across a broad spectrum of offences:

• Money laundering: Rapid identification of layering and integration techniques, enabling targeted investigations.
• Micro-laundering: Detection of high-volume, low-value digital transfers that co-mingle licit and illicit funds.
• Money muling: Alerts on behaviour indicating recruitment of individuals to move illicit proceeds through legitimate accounts.
• Child sexual exploitation: Patterns in payment flows flagged to support law enforcement operations.
• Domestic violence: Financial transaction anomalies used as indicators in protective orders and prosecutions.
• Tax evasion and fraud: Cross-sectoral insights inform both regulatory actions and criminal referrals.
• Illegal phoenixing: Unlawful asset stripping via successive corporate entities identified through transaction networks.

A recent threat alert on money muling highlighted how the alliance’s combined datasets can outpace mandatory reporting thresholds. Because individual transactions fell below reporting limits, members would not have detected them alone. By contrast, the alliance revealed emerging trends weeks earlier, allowing member institutions and AUSTRAC to issue customer warnings and law enforcement briefings.

“However, combining data from multiple sources about cash transactions less than $10,000 allowed Fintel Alliance to more rapidly understand the nature and extent of criminality resulting in timely dissemination amongst members.”

Building the Collaborative Data Analytics Hub

Central to the alliance’s expansion is the development of a robust collaborative data analytics hub. This secure platform standardises data ingestion, enables advanced analytics and supports machine-learning tools to uncover hidden correlations. Key features include:

• Automated anomaly detection: Algorithms scan millions of transactions daily for red-flag patterns.
• Interactive dashboards: Members access visualisations of networks, geographies and timelines to guide investigations.
• Secure workspaces: Multi-party “virtual rooms” let analysts collaborate without exposing raw data outside approved parameters.

AUSTRAC recently announced plans to integrate additional analytics modules—such as AI-driven entity resolution and predictive risk scoring. These enhancements will help members rapidly prioritise leads and allocate resources to the highest-risk threats.

Expanding Capacity and Future Partnerships

To support the hub’s growth, AUSTRAC will increase staffing, second senior leaders from partner institutions and onboard new industry segments. Key initiatives include:

• Secondment from ANZ Bank: A senior manager will co-lead alliance operations, strengthening ties between government and industry.
• Tranche 2 entities: From March 2026, professionals such as lawyers, estate agents and accountants will begin regulated reporting under the AML/CTF Act 2006.
• Industry working groups: Focused sessions with remittance providers, fintech firms and digital currency exchanges will tailor analytics to emerging transaction types.

This phased approach ensures the alliance remains agile. By carefully curating new members, AUSTRAC preserves the quality and confidentiality of shared intelligence while broadening its reach.

Campaign Against “Scambling” Scams

Recent Fintel Alliance efforts have tackled “scambling”—unlicensed online gambling platforms that lure users via social media and siphon funds through unregulated channels. Targeted outreach in regional and remote Aboriginal communities has:

• Raised awareness of scam tactics among vulnerable populations.
• Enabled banks and police to flag suspicious accounts before significant losses occur.
• Secured timely warnings circulated through alliance bulletins and community networks.

“The nature of scambling—frequent small transactions—means it isn’t traditionally captured by mandatory reporting.”

Real-time intelligence sharing has proven critical in these campaigns, showcasing yet another dimension of the alliance’s public-private synergy.

Conclusion

The forthcoming expansion of the Fintel Alliance marks a decisive shift toward collaborative intelligence as a core compliance and enforcement strategy. By scaling data analytics capabilities, onboarding tranche 2 industries and fostering deep industry-government partnerships, AUSTRAC is:

• Maximising the impact of scarce investigative resources.
• Accelerating disruption of evolving money laundering and fraud schemes.
• Empowering regulated entities to protect customers and the broader community.

As financial crime methodologies grow more sophisticated, the Fintel Alliance stands as a model for proactive, technology-driven defence. Its success to date—and planned expansion—signals a new era where shared knowledge and collective action are the most potent weapons against illicit finance.

Related Links

• Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006
• AUSTRAC Guidance for Reporting Entities
• Fintel Alliance Threat Alert on Money Muling
• AUSTRAC Annual Report 2023–24

Other FinCrime Central News About AUSTRAC’s Actions

• Austrac’s Crackdown on Crypto and Remittance Firms Over AML Failures
• AUSTRAC Tightens Compliance for Cryptocurrency ATMs
• Australia aims at defining a government-wide AML global approach

Source: Austrac