dIGITAL iNTELLIGENCE fORUM [dif]
Location & Timings:
ONLINE
April 9th 2026
9am – 2pm AEDT
About the Digital Intelligence Forum
Understand scams. Learn the patterns. Protect yourself online.
Australians are living more of their lives digitally than ever before.
Crypto, online banking, social platforms and messaging apps have created new opportunities for connection and investment. They have also created new pathways for highly sophisticated scams.
The Digital Intelligence Forum is a free online event designed to help everyday Australians understand how scams actually work, how stolen funds move, how investigations unfold, and what practical steps you can take to stay safe.
You do not need technical knowledge. You only need an interest in understanding how to protect yourself.
This forum brings together digital currency exchanges, cyber specialists, identity experts, blockchain analytics teams, recovery specialists and national agencies. They will share real stories, real case studies and clear guidance in simple language.
What You Will Learn
- How scammers build trust and manipulate people
Real case studies show patterns across romance scams, investment scams, impersonation scams and social engineering attacks. - What safe crypto use looks like
Straightforward guidance from exchanges on account security, common red flags and how to avoid the traps scammers rely on. - How stolen funds move and why crypto is traceable
Plain English explanations from analytics specialists who understand the movement of funds inside these networks. - What happens when you report a scam
Honest insight into how investigations work, why timing matters and how your report contributes to broader cases. - When recovery is possible and when it is not
Clear guidance from recovery specialists, including how to avoid the rise of recovery scams that target victims a second time. - A practical digital safety toolkit
Simple steps you can use immediately to protect your accounts and support your family.
Who Should Attend
- Anyone who uses or is curious about crypto
- People who want to understand digital scams
- Parents and families supporting vulnerable relatives
- Educators, community leaders and support workers
- Anyone seeking clarity and confidence online
Speakers
EMCEE: AMY-ROSE GOODEY
DECA
Alex Meaney
National Anti-Scam Centre
CHARIS CHAN
Chainalysis
RYAN HODGES
ZODIA CUSTODY
CALUM YOUNG
SWYFTX
DARCY ALLEN
RMIT
LISA HORNERY
Kraken
HARRISON CONNOR
LEDGER
ALEC O'SULLIVAN
DECA
JESS RENDEN
COINTREE
AARON LANE
RMIT
MARK BAILEY
HALL CHADWICK
JONI PIROVICH
CRYSTAL AOS
JONNO NEWMAN
TRM LABS
NATHAN ACKARIE
CHAINALYSIS
MICHAL Knapkiewicz
SIGMA PRIME
MICHELLE RIZAL
CHAINALYSIS
Agenda
Welcome and Introduction
MC – Amy-Rose Goodey
Setting the scene for the day. What people should expect to learn.
Short orientation with a focus on safety, clarity and practical outcomes.
National Anti-Scam Centre
Australia’s national approach to scams, the current landscape, emerging trends and the role of the National Anti-Scam Centre in coordinated prevention and response.
Alex Meaney – National Anti-Scam Centre Director of Disruption
Emerging Crypto Threats and How to Spot Them
A deep dive into threats and scams that have emerged as the digital asset ecosystem has evolved. This course explores the rise of AI, address poisoning and browser extension scams, and how a digital identity money mule works.
Calum Young – Swyftx
Who Holds the Keys?
Exploring how digital assets are stored and secured across self-custody, exchange custody and institutional custody, and what these models mean for risk, security and control.
[MOD] Charis Chan – Chainalysis
Ryan Hodges – Zodia
Harrison Connor – Ledger
How to Use Crypto Safely
A practical walkthrough of safe onboarding, account protection, verification habits, and the common red flags that appear before a scam begins.
[MOD] Alec O’Sullivan – DECA
Jess Renden – Cointree
Lisa Hornery – Kraken
Crypto Crime
A fireside conversation examining how crypto-enabled crime operates in practice, key legal and enforcement challenges, and what effective prevention and accountability look like in Australia’s current environment.
[MOD] Darcy Allen – RMIT
Aaron Lane – RMIT
Inside Blockchain Analytics: How Transactions Are Tracked in Practice
This session explores how blockchain analytics platforms map transaction flows, identify suspicious activity and support real-world investigations, providing insight into how illicit behaviour is detected and addressed.
Michelle Rizal – Chainalysis
Can Your Funds Be Recovered
A practical session examining what happens after a crypto scam, how investigations and tracing work, and the real prospects and limitations of recovering stolen assets.
[MOD] Alec O’Sullivan – DECA
Mark Bailey – Hall Chadwick
Joni Pirovich – Crystal aOS
Inside the Bybit Hack
Tracing the attack, the funds and the lessons for securing digital asset infrastructure.
Jonno Newman – TRM Labs
From First Contact to Final Transfer: A Real-World Crypto Scam Case Study
Crypto scams don’t start with technology — they begin with people.
This session follows a real Australian scam case from start to fi nish, tracing a victim’s journey from fi rst contact through to fi nancial loss. Using a romance-style scam involving a crypto ATM as the central case study, Nathan unpacks how trust is established, where the warning signs emerge, how funds move through the system, and where intervention points could have been stronger.
This session focuses on the the decision points that matter most for victims, families, banks, exchanges and investigators. It explores how scammers exploit human behaviour, how crypto infrastructure is misused, and what realistic prevention and recovery actually look like in Australia today.
The session is designed for a general audience. No technical knowledge is required.
Nathan Ackarie – Chainalysis
Your Device Is the Front Door Why personal device security is the first line of defence online.
A practical presentation on everyday digital security, explaining how compromised devices enable scams, fraud and account takeovers, and how individuals can better protect themselves.
Michal Knapkiewicz – Sigma Prime
Open Questions and Discussion
A moderated Q and A where participants can ask questions in a safe and supportive environment.