ABA Opens Fraud Contact Directory to International Banks, Expanding Global Effort to Combat Financial Crime

The American Bankers Association today announced that its widely used Fraud Contact Directory is now open to international banks, marking a significant expansion of one of the banking industry’s key tools for combating fraud. The announcement was made by ABA President and CEO Rob Nichols and Paul Benda, ABA executive vice president for fraud, risk and cybersecurity, at the United Nations Global Fraud Summit in Vienna, Austria. 

Originally launched to help U.S. banks quickly connect with one another to stop fraud in real time, the ABA Fraud Contact Directory has become a cornerstone of industry collaboration. Today, 2,443 banks — representing more than half of all U.S. banks — actively use the directory, with credit union participation continuing to grow. Opening the directory to international banks reflects the increasingly global nature of fraud and the urgent need for cross border cooperation.

“Fraud knows no borders, and neither should our defenses,” Nichols said. “By expanding the ABA Fraud Contact Directory to international banks, we are strengthening the global financial system’s ability to respond quickly, share critical information and stop fraud before it spreads.”

The secure directory enables participating institutions to quickly identify and contact the appropriate fraud professionals at other financial institutions, helping to accelerate response times, reduce losses and better protect customers. As fraud schemes grow more sophisticated and increasingly span multiple jurisdictions, rapid communication across borders is essential.

“Every minute matters when a fraud incident is unfolding,” Benda said. “This expansion allows banks around the world to work together more efficiently to disrupt criminal networks and better protect consumers, businesses and governments.”

ABA’s partnership with the International Banking Federation (IBFed)’s Fraud and Scams Taskforce was instrumental in expanding the directory. IBFed members of the Fraud and Scams Taskforce led efforts with banks in their country to identify those interested in participating and facilitated communication with ABA, ensuring a seamless launch. ABA extends its thanks to Anthony Ostler, chair of the IBFed and president and CEO of the Canadian Bankers Association, for his leadership and support of this important initiative.

“Once more, the banking sector’s leadership, in this case the American Bankers Association, stepping up and working together on practical solutions has made international collaboration faster and easier,” Ostler said. “Scammers operate across borders — so one way we can stop them is by sharing information and coordinating action across borders, too. Providing banks around the globe with access to the Fraud Contact Directory is a valuable tool addition to our worldwide toolkit.”

The Fraud Contact Directory is one component of ABA’s comprehensive, multipronged strategy to fight fraud and scams. In addition to the directory, ABA offers a broad range of tools, resources and initiatives, including:

• Treasury Check Payee Verification System, a secure portal that enables banks to verify U.S. Treasury checks and help prevent check fraud. Since its launch in June 2025, ABA’s TCVS portal has processed more than 75,000 checks, totaling approximately $2 billion, and prevented more than $3 million in fraud by flagging a mismatch in payee name.
• Consumer education campaigns, including Banks Never Ask That and Practice Safe Checks,  industry-wide that have reached millions of Americans with practical fraud prevention tips.
• Partnered with government and law enforcement agencies to develop educational resources on top scams threatening American consumers.
• ABA Fraudcast, a podcast hosted by Paul Benda featuring conversations with leading fraud experts on emerging threats and mitigation strategies.
• Advocacy with policymakers, including testifying before Congress, to promote information sharing, strengthen fraud prevention frameworks and ensure banks have the tools they need to protect customers. ABA expressed strong support for the SCAM Act after it was introduced in the Senate and House by Sens. Gallego and Moreno, and Reps. Meuser and Correa, respectively. In November 2025, ABA also welcomed the Justice Department’s launch of an interagency Scam Center Strike Force to dismantle Southeast Asian scam centers responsible for defrauding millions of Americans. 

ABA will continue to expand its fraud fighting resources and partnerships to address the evolving threat landscape and support banks of all sizes, both in the U.S.  and around the world.

International banks interested in joining the ABA Fraud Contact Directory can find additional information at: https://www.aba.com/banking-topics/risk-management/fraud/directory. The directory is accessible to both member and non-member institutions and is available at no cost to all participating organizations.