NAB issues statement on industry-wide mortgage fraud.
27 June 2026 | 1 min read
27 June 2026
The mortgage industry is contending with a heightened and increasingly sophisticated fraud environment.
NAB confirms it has been investing significant resources and expertise to fight this threat and taking action.
NAB has zero tolerance for criminal behaviour and is investing heavily to respond. We are identifying and disrupting this activity, with more to do as a bank and across the industry. NAB has referred multiple parties to the appropriate authorities and has exited or suspended a number of parties from the bank. We will continue to take an uncompromising stance on anyone who engages in illegal or unethical behaviour.
This is complex, organised crime that spans industries and borders. These risks aren’t confined to any one institution or just banks. Brokers, real estate agents, lawyers, accountants, conveyancers, and other industries that support mortgage lending are facing the same threat from corrupt professional facilitators and organised crime.
NAB is working closely with peers through the Fintel Alliance and directly with law enforcement to share intelligence and strengthen the collective response, but industry efforts alone are not enough.
NAB is calling for the development of a National Economic Crime Strategy. This will develop a coordinated national approach to better protect Australian customers, industry, and the broader economy, by enabling stronger intelligence sharing, deeper cross sector collaboration, and more consistent regulatory settings to fight economic crime at the source.
Tackling this threat effectively requires a step change in how banks, regulators, law enforcement, and government work together. Without it, we risk focusing on individual cases while the global networks behind them continue to operate. This is a system-wide problem, and it requires a system-wide response.
