AFCA flags appointment of chief scams officer

The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) has bolstered its leadership ranks with the appointment of David Lacey as its inaugural chief scams officer (CSO), following a string of C-suite appointments announced earlier this month.

In what the authority describes as a “key leadership role”, Lacey will lead the expansion of its jurisdiction “to consider the role of banks, telcos and digital platforms in scam complaints”.

He will start in the new role next Tuesday, 31 March 2026.

Lacey joins AFCA from not-for-profit cyber support service IDCARE, where he built Australia and New Zealand’s leading response service for victims of identity crime and scams.

AFCA CEO and chief ombudsman David Locke said he would bring “unparalleled experience” in the impact scams have on individuals and their families.

“David has spent years working directly with scam victims, and that perspective will be critical in shaping a scams ombudsman service that is accessible, fair and can effectively resolve complex issues involving multiple parties,” he said.

Lacey also indicated his eagerness to get to work.

“External dispute resolution will play an important role within the Scams Prevention Framework,” he said.

“I’m excited to build a scams ombudsman service that will consider all the parties involved in a scam and help deliver fair outcomes for consumers and firms.”

Lacey’s appointment comes after several other senior hires at Australian Financial Complaints Authority, including Deborah Jenkins as chief customer officer (CCO), Stevie-Ann Dovico as chief technology officer (CTO), and Brigid Parsonson as chief operating officer (COO).

AFCA has grown significantly since its establishment in 2018 and is on track to receive more than 110,000 complaints this financial year.

Last year, the authority flagged that the number of financial complaints was “unacceptably high”, encouraging all parties to remain vigilant.

Scamwatch alert

The announcement comes as Scamwatch, part of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), sent an alert earlier this month warning that fraudsters are pretending to be financial service providers and loan brokers.

As part of the scam, criminals set up fake websites and post social media ads offering personal loans. After an application is submitted, victims are contacted by email or social media and sent a loan contract. They are then asked to provide personal information and documents, including photo ID, payslips, bank statements, and login details for bank and myGov accounts.

Applicants are also told to pay upfront fees for “payment protection” insurance or “loan establishment” costs before any funds are released. These payments, often sent to personal bank accounts, are falsely claimed to be refundable after three months.

[Related: Fake brokers target borrowers in new loan scam alert]

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