Banking and Finance - Consumer Action Law Centre

Changes to the insurance code of practice fall well short say consumer groups

The Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financial Rights), Financial Counselling Australia (FCA) and Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) have warned that government intervention may be needed if g...

Federal Court scathing on HSBC, bringing legal clarity: Australia’s banks MUST protect their customers from scams

Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Stephanie Tonkin says the $35 million penalty plus costs imposed on HSBC Bank in the Federal Court yesterday sends a clear and resounding signal to Australia’s banks: th...

Curbing lead generation activity

This is a joint submission from Consumer Action Law Centre, Super Consumers Australia, Financial Rights Legal Centre, Mob Strong Debt Help, Financial Counselling Australia, Consumer Credit Legal Servi...

‘Unacceptable Harms’: Scam laws delay will see Aussies robbed of billions

Consumer advocates have slammed the nine-month delay in the implementation of the Scam Prevention Framework (SPF), announced today by Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino, calling it a ‘betrayal’ of hund...

Rogue lender Cigno and Directors fined $7 million at Federal Court

Consumer advocates have welcomed the decision by the Federal Court to fine Cigno Australia and its director Mark Swanepoel, and BSF Solutions and its director Brenton Harrison a combined penalty of $7...

Independent Review of the Customer Owned Banking Association Code of Practice

This is a joint submission by CARE, CHOICE, Consumer Action Law Centre, Consumer Credit Legal Service Western Australia, Consumer Policy Research Centre, Each, Financial Counselling Australia, Financi...

Wrong direction: Australians robbed of $2.2 billion in 2025 by scam-crime

More than $10 billion has been stolen in scams from Australians since 2020 -a deeply troubling statistic as victims continue to carry 95% of the losses, and 30% or more of victims don’t report their l...

Unfair Trading Practices – Exposure Draft and Explanatory Memorandum

We are providing this supplementary submission to Treasury, to highlight the need to explicitly consider manipulative lead generation practices in the Exposure Draft legislation and Explanatory Memora...

Banking Code Compliance Committee priorities 2026-27

This submission is provided on behalf of Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Rights Legal Centre, Mob Strong Debt Help and Mortgage Stress Victoria. We strongly support the Banking Code Complian...

Insurance: Code Governance Committee Monitoring & Compliance Priorities 2026-27

This is a joint submission from the Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financial Rights), Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) and Financial Counsellors’ Association of Western Australia (FCAWA)....

‘Ongoing and significant harms’: New data shows millions still lost to scams in late 2025

Fresh data from Consumer Action Law Centre’s frontline services in the final quarter of 2025 confirms what Scamwatch reported throughout the year: Australians are still losing millions to scammers, wi...

Scam prevention laws must plug the gaps and guarantee fair compensation say consumer advocates

Joint submission warns current design leaves major scam channels uncovered, delays real protections, and will fail victims without a workable dispute resolution pathway Australia’s leading consumer...

Joint Consumer Submission – Scams Prevention Framework draft law package and position paper

This is a joint submission made on behalf of: • Consumer Action Law Centre • CHOICE • Financial Rights Legal Centre • Financial Counselling Australia • Westjustice • Consumer Credit Legal Servic...

People are losing their homes over a $10,000 debt: this must stop

This opinion piece by Claude Von Arx, Senior Financial Counsellor, Consumer Action Law Centre, and Chair, Financial Counselling Victoria was first published in The Age on 19 December 2025. Imagine...

At Christmas, no one should have to pawn their life away

An edited version of this opinion piece appeared in the Herald Sun today. By Stephanie Tonkin Christmas is meant to be a time of generosity and hope. Yet for too many Australians, it’s a season...

Consumer Action wins landmark Federal Court case against pawnbroker Taylors Business

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has secured a comprehensive victory in the Federal Court of Australia against Taylors Business Pty Ltd (Taylors), in a judgment handed down yesterday that...

Joint Submission: Banking Code Compliance Committee – Basic Bank Accounts

This joint submission is provided on behalf of Consumer Action Law Centre, Mob Strong Debt Help, Financial Rights Legal Centre, ICAN, Mortgage Stress Victoria and Financial Counselling Australia. B...

Consumer Action calls for strong -world beating- Scams Prevention Framework as draft codes land

Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed the latest consultation on the Federal Government’s Scams Prevention Framework (SPF), announced Friday by Assistant Treasurer Dr Daniel Mulino MP, saying Austra...

Our impact in 2024-25: Fighting injustice and working for a fairer marketplace

We are delighted to present our Impact Report 2024-25 which highlights Consumer Action Law centre’s work over the past year working with consumers, community workers, national advocates and cross-sect...

OPINION: Meta gorges on scam victim profits

A version of this opinion piece appeared in the Sunday Herald Sun 23 November, 2025 I’ve talked a lot about banks’ central role in Australia’s scams crisis. However, the main beneficiaries of the e...

A surge in scams while our ‘world leading’ Scam Prevention Framework missing in action

New scam data released today from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) reveals that Australians lost nearly $260 million in scams in the first nine months of 2025, a 16% increase...

OPINION: BAN crypto ATMs and end robbery in plain sight

Stephanie Tonkin, CEO Consumer Action Law Centre An edited version published in the Sunday Herald Sun 9 Nov 2025 You may have seen a crypto ATM sitting in your local post office, fuel station or...

Response to the ASIC’s Regulatory Simplification Paper REP 813

Consumer Action has welcomed the opportunity to take part in the Australian Securities and Investment Commission's (ASIC) simplification work via the Simplification Consultative Group. In that forum w...

Crypto ATMS are a clear vector for scams: Ban them now says Consumer Action

Crypto ATMs are a clear vector for scam activity focusing on older victims*, charging eye-boggling fees and causing massive harms – “the Albanese Government should do the right thing and ban them now”...

OPINION: The lessons of the Banking Royal Commission must not be forgotten

Published in the Herald Sun, 16 September, 2025. Opinion by Stephanie Tonkin, CEP Consumer Action Law Centre The Banking Royal Commission was a watershed moment for Australians. It shattered pub...

Response to Productivity Commission Interim Report: Creating a more dynamic and resilient economy

This is a joint submission from Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Counselling Australia, Consumer Policy Research Centre and CHOICE. We welcome the opportunity to inform this national conversation...

Court Finds Money3 Breached Responsible Lending Laws: Consumer Advocates Welcome Outcome

In a decision handed down on Friday, the Federal Courthas found that car lender Money3 breached responsible lending laws. The case, brought by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (...

Centrepay will no longer be a vehicle for financial abuse

Consumer advocates welcome reforms to Government payment service The Financial Rights Legal Centre, Mob Strong Debt Help, Consumer Action Law Centre, CHOICE, Anglicare NT and Economic Justice Austral...

Banks should be responsible for shifting people onto better accounts, say consumer groups

Consumer groups are urging the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to put the onus on banks to shift people into basic bank accounts as part of the ACCC’s authorisation of the Austra...

Scam Awareness Week kicks-off: taking care is important alongside business disruption efforts

Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Stephanie Tonkin is calling for immediate action from the Federal Government as new scam data reveals a surge in everyday Australians being robbed. Her call comes as...

Draft Determination AA1000683 – Application by the Australian Banking Association

This is a joint submission from Consumer Action Law Centre, Mob Strong Debt Help, Financial Rights Legal Centre, and Financial Counselling Australia. Basic bank accounts (BBAs) are incredibly valua...

Consumer advocates welcome banks’ commitment to refund $93 million, but gaps in support remain

Consumer advocates have welcomed a commitment from Australian banks to refund more than $93 million to low-income customers after charging excessive fees, but significant gaps in support remain, with...

OPINION: The evil reach of the ‘recovery’ scam as victims robbed again

First published in the Herald Sun, Sunday27 July 2025 The scams crisis is still raging, and some statistical indicators reveal this problem, which costs Australians billions of dollars every year,...

Rogue lender Cigno and its Directors lose appeal to the Full Federal Court

Cigno Australia Pty Ltd and its directors’ appeal to the Full Federal Court has been dismissed today and costs awarded to the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC). Consumer Action...

Second AUSTRAC Consultation on new AML/CTF Rules

This is a joint submission made on behalf of: • Consumer Action Law Centre • Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network • Super Consumers Australia • Financial Counselling Australia • Mob Strong Debt...

Proposed AFCA Rules changes to expand jurisdiction over receiving banks in scams

We welcomed this year’s Federal Government announcement and Authorisation to expand AFCA’s jurisdiction to enable AFCA to consider complaints against banks for scam matters where an AFCA complainant d...

Stop the harms! Regulate wage advance products now say consumer advocates

Consumer advocates from across Australia are calling on the Albanese Government to urgently regulate the proliferation of ‘wage advance’ products that are making the cost-of-living crisis worse for th...

Image of Australia's Parliament House in Canberra

A historic opportunity to enact a stronger consumer-focused agenda say advocates

Consumer advocates have congratulated the Albanese Government on its emphatic re-election victory and called for it to seize the moment to govern with an even stronger consumer-focused agenda in its s...

Joint Submission: Centrepay Reform – Consultation

This is a joint submission led by Financial Rights Legal Centre, supported by Consumer Action Law Centre and: • Australian Communications Consumer Action Network • AnglicareNT • Brotherhood of St...

Draft Determination – Application by the Australian Banking Association

We provide the following comment on Draft Determination AA1000683 in response to the Australian Banking Association’s (ABA) application to continue offering Basic Bank Accounts (BBAs) and certain cond...

OPINION: Why unsolicited selling should be banned

An edited version was first published in the Herald Sun on Sunday, 14 April 2025 Christine clicked on a Facebook site promising a solar deal with government rebates she could not refuse. Then a sal...

VIDEO: First ever ‘designated complaint’ targets the scourge of ‘door-knock’ unsolicited selling

Consumer Action Law Centre is calling for a nationwide ban on unsolicited selling in the first ever designated ‘super’ complaint presented to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)....

VIDEO: What ‘consumer-centric’ policies should the next Government pursue?

Consumer Action Law Centre has revealed a list of its top consumer-centric priorities to make life fairer and better for all Australians, ahead of the upcoming federal Election. “This Federal Elect...

‘Cost-of-living’ at the centre of Election 2025: Our consumer-centric priorities revealed  

REPORT: Payday lenders pushing borrowers over the edge

The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) has today released a report revealing what consumer advocates have been saying for months – predatory lenders are pushing customers in vulner...

Consumer Action: ‘Strengthened anti-scam laws will help future victims’

Assistant Treasurer, Stephen Jones has announced strengthened pathways for victims to seek compensation where wrongdoing has occurred. A Ministerial Direction announced yesterday, will empower the Aus...

Reported scams down but two-billion dollars in losses still ‘deeply concerning’

Consumer Action Law Centre says a report released today from the National Anti-Scam Centre, Targeting scams, reveals a welcome fall in the value of reported scams losses for 2024 (down by 25.9% to $2....

Compensation Scheme of Last Resort post-impementation review

Consumer Action Law Centre strongly supports the joint submission by CHOICE and other consumer organisations. We provide this supplementary submission in response to the Compensation Scheme of Last Re...

Hard fought protections in new Banking Code better for consumers

The new Banking Code of Practice came into force on Friday the culmination of years of work to strengthen consumer protections said Stephanie Tonkin, CEO Consumer Action Law Centre. The Hayne Roy...

Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) – Draft Regulations

The consumer sector has been calling for appropriate regulation of BNPL for several years and we are pleased that legislation will shortly come into force, providing some protection to customers, part...

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