As part of National Missing Persons Week 2017, AUSTRAC, Australia’s financial intelligence agency, together with its Fintel Alliance industry partners, will support police investigations of financial crime that may impact missing persons. 

AUSTRAC will lead the sharing of financial intelligence and information with its Fintel Alliance founding members including ANZ, Western Union, Westpac, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, the National Australia Bank, and HSBC Bank Australia, to identify and locate missing persons, and assess any related financial activities that appear suspicious.

According to AUSTRAC’s Fintel Alliance Director Lynne Walker, the agency’s intelligence analysts will share the names of around 600 missing persons across the country with industry partners to check their data holdings for any recent financial activities that can support police investigations. 

"The challenges faced by the family and friends of a missing person, as well as the impacts on the wider community including financial institutions are being addressed by this joint approach",

Ms Walker said.   

"Missing persons are one of the community groups who are vulnerable to financial crime including identity theft and fraud, hence analysis of their financial footprint will help the Fintel Alliance detect these potential risks and protect the wider community from the threats of crime".

Ms Walker also noted that this initiative would not have been possible without the excellent collaboration with industry that the Fintel Alliance has been able to create.

Fintel Alliance, a world-first anti-money laundering and counter terrorism-financing initiative established by AUSTRAC, will employ its developing public-private partnership capabilities to support National Missing Persons Week from 30 July to 5 August 2017.