Casey Costello to Attend Global Fraud Summit in Europe Amid Rising Scam Threat

The minister noted that many of the fraud operations affecting New Zealand originate overseas and are linked to organised criminal groups operating across several countries.

Customs and Associate Police Minister Casey Costello will travel to Europe tomorrow to represent New Zealand at the Global Fraud Summit, as governments and international law enforcement agencies step up cooperation to combat the rapidly growing threat of cross-border fraud and cyber-enabled crime.

The summit, hosted this year in Vienna by INTERPOL and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), brings together ministers, investigators and financial crime specialists from across the world to coordinate strategies against increasingly sophisticated global fraud networks.

Fraud Now New Zealand’s Most Common Crime

Costello said fraud and deception offences have become the most prevalent form of crime in New Zealand, reflecting a global trend driven by organised international networks using digital platforms to target victims across borders.

“In New Zealand, as with many similar countries, fraud and deception offending has become the most prevalent crime and it causes not only significant financial loss for victims but a loss of trust in business and institutions,” Costello said.

Financial scams, phishing attacks, online investment fraud and identity theft are among the most rapidly increasing offences. Authorities warn that such crimes often operate through transnational networks that exploit digital technologies and financial systems across multiple jurisdictions.

Officials say these scams can cost victims millions of dollars each year, while also undermining confidence in financial systems and legitimate online commerce.

International Crime Networks Driving Global Fraud

The minister noted that many of the fraud operations affecting New Zealand originate overseas and are linked to organised criminal groups operating across several countries.

“Much of this type of offending originates from overseas groups that target multiple countries in their operation, and we know there are strong links between international organised crime, transnational fraud, and money laundering,” Costello said.

Law enforcement agencies worldwide have reported growing collaboration between cybercriminal networks, human trafficking organisations and money laundering operations that move illicit funds through complex international channels.

The Global Fraud Summit aims to strengthen information-sharing, intelligence cooperation and coordinated enforcement strategies to disrupt these networks.

Focus on Southeast Asia and the Pacific

During the summit, Costello will participate in sessions focused on fraud activity affecting Southeast Asia and the Pacific, regions that have become key operational hubs for large-scale scam syndicates.

Authorities in several countries have recently uncovered industrial-scale scam compounds, where organised criminal groups run sophisticated online fraud operations targeting victims across Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand.

The discussions are expected to focus on:

• intelligence sharing between law enforcement agencies• stronger cross-border investigations• coordinated action against financial crime networks• protecting vulnerable communities from online scams

Costello said engagement with international partners is essential to address crimes that increasingly operate beyond national borders.

“International co-operation is needed to address these crimes and it’s important to engage with partners and international law enforcement agencies around these issues,” she said.

Bilateral Meetings in Geneva and London

Following the summit in Vienna, Costello will travel to Geneva for meetings with senior officials from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and representatives of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

Those discussions are expected to focus on humanitarian coordination and international cooperation on refugee and migration issues.

The minister will then travel to London, where she will hold a series of meetings related to her ministerial responsibilities across Customs, Police and Health portfolios.

Officials say the meetings will include discussions on international law enforcement collaboration, border security cooperation and emerging public health and crime prevention issues.

Strengthening Global Cooperation Against Financial Crime

The Global Fraud Summit represents part of a broader international effort to tackle financial crime and digital fraud, which has expanded rapidly alongside global connectivity and online commerce.

By participating in the summit and holding bilateral discussions with international partners, New Zealand aims to strengthen cooperation with global institutions and law enforcement agencies to better detect, disrupt and prevent international scam networks targeting New Zealanders.

The minister’s visit highlights the growing importance of international collaboration in addressing cyber-enabled crime, which increasingly operates beyond traditional national boundaries.