15 years of making compliance work for Australian business.
Chesley (Ches) Rafferty is the founder of easyAML (as well as Scantek Solutions) - a cybersecurity and compliance expert trusted by government agencies, major corporations, and thousands of Australian businesses. This is his story.
Approved by the Department of Home Affairs, the ACIC, and the WA & QLD Governments to operate inside Australia’s national identity infrastructure - the technology that now powers easyAML.
A frequent expert commentator on Sky News, Nine Network, Channel 7, 3AW, 2GB, ABC Radio, The Australian, the Herald Sun, and more - across cybersecurity, identity technology, and AML/CTF compliance.
easyAML is the product of more than a decade of identity and compliance experience, purpose-built for Australian businesses navigating Tranche 2 AML/CTF obligations for the first time.
From community safety to national compliance
Ches Rafferty has spent more than two decades building technology that keeps Australian communities safer and helps businesses meet their obligations with confidence.
Building a nationally trusted platform
In 2011, Ches co-founded Scantek Solutions with a clear purpose: create identity verification technology that is simple, accessible, and effective for businesses of all sizes.
What began in licensed venues - helping pubs, nightclubs and casinos verify identity and manage patron safety - rapidly became one of Australia's most trusted compliance platforms. Within 18 months, Scantek was active across 54 venues in 3 states. Crown Casino Melbourne selected Scantek after a rigorous 3-month trial. The West Australian described the technology as "a revolutionary weapon in the fight against serious violent crime."
By 2017, a significant majority of all venues in Queensland's Safe Night Precincts were using Scantek. Telstra selected Scantek as its preferred In-Store ID Scanning provider. ISO 9001, 14001, 27001 and 45001 certification was achieved and maintained.
In 2018, the Department of Home Affairs approved Scantek as a Gateway Service Provider of Australia's Document Verification Service. In 2021, the ACIC licensed Scantek as a National Police Checking Service provider. The WA Government appointed Scantek sole provider for the Banned Drinkers Register across regional WA - a contract renewed multiple times since.
A trusted voice in the national conversation
Alongside building Scantek, Ches has been a consistent expert voice in Australia's national media on the issues his technology addresses. He has appeared on Sky News, Nine Network, and Channel 7 commenting on the Medibank ransomware attack, the Optus data breach, AI deepfakes, and data regulation reform. He is a regular contributor to 3AW, 2GB, 6PR, and ABC Radio on cybersecurity, scam prevention, and digital identity.
He has spoken at countless conferences and events across real estate, property settlement, legal and accounting sectors on cyber security and AML/CTF compliance. Industry bodies invite Ches to speak because he does not just comment on compliance - he builds the tools that make it work.
In 2025, Ches launched easyAML: Australia's most advanced all-in-one AML compliance platform, purpose-built for accountants, lawyers, real estate agents and conveyancers navigating Tranche 2 obligations for the first time. Partnerships with industry leading platforms and associations ensure easyAML integrates into the workflows professionals already use.
The technology is trusted. The track record is verifiable. And the purpose behind it has never been more relevant.
Why I learned compliance the hard way
Before the government approvals, the media appearances, the national platform - there was a Federal Court case. I think it is important that you hear this directly from me.
In 2004, at just 23 years old, I was the director of Domain Names Australia Pty Ltd, which faced ACCC initiated proceedings alleging the company had sent misleading domain registration notices to more than 450,000 Australian, UK and NZ businesses. The Federal Court found the conduct had occurred, issued restraining orders and cost penalties.
It was a genuine mistake - the product of poor business decisions and my inexperience as a young entrepreneur who did not yet understand the compliance implications of his decisions. This context is not an excuse. I have never denied it, never minimised it, and have disclosed it fully to every government body and major partner I have worked with since.
“I made a mistake when I was young. I didn’t fully understand the compliance implications of what we were doing, or the damage it could cause. That’s something I own completely.”
— CHES RAFFERTY, CEO & FOUNDEREvery major government and corporate partner - the Department of Home Affairs, the ACIC, the Queensland OLGR, the WA State Government, Telstra - has independently assessed me with full knowledge of this history. Every single one chose to proceed.
That is not despite my history. That is because of what I did with it.
That experience taught me something I have never forgotten: compliance is not just red tape. It is about protecting people. When you get it wrong, people can get hurt. When you get it right, everyone benefits. easyAML exists so that Australian businesses never have to learn that lesson the hard way.— Ches Rafferty, CEO & Founder
Approved. Audited. Trusted.
The track record, in order - two decades of building technology that governments, regulators and major corporations chose to rely on.
A trusted voice, for years
Ches has been called upon by Australia's leading news organisations as an expert commentator on cybersecurity, data breaches, identity technology, and AML/CTF compliance. His appearances span national television, radio, print, and specialist industry platforms.
Ches on the national news