FCA welcomes National Anti-Scam Centre taskforce to tackle ‘scambling’
Financial Counselling Australia (FCA) has welcomed the launch of a dedicated fusion cell by the National Anti-Scam Centre to target “scambling”- fake online gambling and casino platforms designed to deceive and exploit consumers.
The taskforce, announced today by the ACCC, brings together law enforcement, government agencies, regulators, digital platforms, banks, telecommunications providers, frontline community services along with FCA to disrupt scambling and better understand how it operates.
Scambling is the evil love child of gambling and scams – it’s a scam that looks like online gambling.
FCA has been raising the alarm on scambling for some time, working directly with stakeholders across the banking, telecommunications and community sectors to help prevent and stop these scams.
“We are very pleased to see this coordinated, cross-sector response,” said Lynda Edwards, Director of First Nations Policy at FCA. “Financial counsellors and capability workers have seen first-hand the damage scambling causes people who are lured into playing with the promise of big winnings, only to lose money they often can’t get back.”
The impact is falling hardest on First Nations communities, who accounted for over 45% of reported scambling losses in 2025.
“This is not simply people making bad bets. It’s a deliberate scam, and it’s disproportionately targeting communities who are already more vulnerable to financial harm,” Ms Edwards said. “Understanding how these scams reach First Nations communities, and building trusted, accessible support pathways, has to be central to this work.”
“A fusion cell that brings everyone to the same table is exactly the kind of response this problem needs.”
FCA said it looks forward to continuing to work alongside the National Anti-Scam Centre, banks, digital platforms and community organisations as the fusion cell’s work progresses and will continue to support financial counsellors and capability workers dealing with the fallout of scambling in their day-to-day work with clients.
ENDS
Media contact: Maura Angle 0418 334 121 or [email protected]