Online security

At ANZ, we work hard to protect our customers and the community from fraud, scams and other risks.

That’s why we have teamed up with security experts and worked to implement security measures to help reduce fraud and other risks across some of our digital platforms, including through the use of biometrics.

We’ve set out an overview of some of these measures below.

Behavioural biometrics and other information about how you use our digital platforms

Looking at behavioural characteristics that are unique to an individual can be an effective way to identify if someone else is trying to access or use your account. 

When using some of our digital platforms, such as ANZ Plus, the ANZ App and Internet Banking and certain ANZ online application forms, we’ll therefore ask for your consent to collect information about your usual patterns of behaviour such as how fast you type, how you browse, scroll, and swipe. This helps us identify when behaviour on your account is inconsistent with your usual patterns or that of a human user.

We may also collect and use other information, such as information about the device or browser being used to access your account, the location at the time of the access, and the transactions being made, to help pick up on unusual activity. This can help us to identify when someone other than you is trying to access and use your account (eg: where you may have been the victim of fraud or where your credentials may have been compromised). 

It also helps us detect other unlawful activity, misconduct or security risks (eg: where you may be the victim of a scam or where the device accessing your account may have been compromised by malware or a remote access tool).

Once detected, ANZ can investigate and may take action to help protect you and your account. For instance, we may stop a transaction or suspend online access to your account, engage with the Fraud Reporting Exchange, or liaise with law enforcement bodies. 

There may also be instances where we collaborate with other parties who are looking to identify, prevent or investigate fraud, scams and unlawful activity. As part of this collaboration, ANZ may collect and share, via our trusted security service providers, certain information, such as alerts and indicators where required.

Selfie ID

When you join ANZ Plus, we’ll ask you to provide a selfie as part of onboarding and at various times during your banking experience. This is one of the security features used at ANZ Plus, called Selfie ID, that we use to help make sure it’s really you.

Your selfie (along with biometric data from the image) is used to create a digital representation of your face. This digital representation is then used to help confirm your identity and prevent fraud.

We may, for example, compare your biometric selfie against your photographic ID document. It’ll also be used for some ANZ Plus app features, like recovering your app PIN, increasing your Pay Anyone or BPAY limit, or registering a new device to add an extra layer of security to help prevent unauthorised access to your banking. If we suspect fraud, we may also use it as part of our fraud controls to help, for example, detect and prevent instances of identity fraud.

We obtain your consent to collecting your selfie and we’ll make it clear when we’re collecting it.

Voice ID

In the ANZ App you can enable voice biometrics, known as Voice ID, as an additional authentication method for certain banking transactions.

We all have unique voices with distinctive tones and speech patterns. Voice ID takes advantage of this as a safe and easy method of authentication when using the ANZ App to help us check that it’s really you – without needing to generate a special code or password.

When you perform certain actions using the ANZ App, you'll be prompted to verify your identity using Voice ID instead of a PIN or password, you just have to say the phrase "My voice confirms my identity".

Your voiceprint may also be used to detect suspicious or fraudulent behaviour, and to compare against known fraudster voiceprints.

Further information

For further information about personal information handling at ANZ, please refer to ANZ’s Privacy Policy. This includes information about how to access the personal information ANZ holds about you, how you can seek to correct it, how you can raise concerns if you believe that ANZ has breached the Privacy Act or an applicable Code, and how ANZ will deal with these matters.

For more information on how ANZ works to protect you and your account, please visit www.anz.com.au/security/how-we-protect-you/.