The Morrison Government today welcomed the release of Terms of Reference for the Scam Technology Project led by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
The Minister for Communications and the Arts, Senator the Hon Mitch Fifield has asked the ACMA to identify practical solutions for addressing the consumer harms caused by international scam callers. In December 2018, the ACMA established the Scam Technology Project, to explore practical technological solutions to address the rise in scam calls over Australian telecommunications networks.
Experts in cyber security, competition and telecommunications from the ACMA, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the Australian Cyber Security Centre will explore technological solutions to combat scam calls.
Research undertaken by the ACMA on unsolicited calls in Australia showed that more than half of Australian adults have received scam calls daily or weekly.
The Minister for Communications and the Arts, Mitch Fifield said the project was technically complex work and there were no quick fixes.
"Australians are sick of scam calls. This Government is taking action to combat the scammers", Minister Fifield said.
A discussion paper seeking views on potential solutions will be released by the ACMA in coming weeks and a final report is due to the Minister in December 2019.
Consumers can help protect themselves by staying informed on the latest scams and reporting scam activity to www.scamwatch.gov.au, operated by the ACCC. Consumers should remain vigilant, and protect their personal and financial details when interacting online or over the telephone.
The Terms of Reference for the Scam Technology Project are available at www.acma.gov.au.
