ACCC - Consumer Action Law Centre

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...

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...

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...

OPINION: Will our ‘super complaint’ stop the scourge of door-knock selling?

First published in the Herald-Sun, 29 June 2025 By Stephanie Tonkin CEO Consumer Action Law Centre On 17 June, the nation’s economy-wide regulator, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commis...

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)....

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....

The Banking Code Compliance Committee’s priorities for 2025-26

Consumer Action Law Centre strongly supports the Banking Code Compliance Committee (BCCC) examining Code compliance through Bank@Post closely. We frequently hear anecdotal issues with accessing bankin...

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Consumer Action and CHOICE chosen as designated complainants

The Albanese Government has announced today that Consumer Action Law Centre has been chosen as a designated complainant. This means that Consumer Action, with fellow consumer advocate CHOICE, and the...

ACCC scam report reveals Australians bearing the losses of a ‘scamdemic’ in a cost-of-living crisis

The huge cost of scams on Australian families in a cost-of-living crisis, is placing an unacceptable burden on a community already doing it tough. That’s the bleak reality of the figures in the Austra...

Buy now pay later exposure draft materials

Our organisations have long advocated for Buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) to be regulated as a credit product under the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 (NCCPA), and so we welcome the major step...

Consultation: Designated complaints determination

With our undersigned sector colleagues, we affirm our previous support for the designated complaints function, and our previous comments about the design and structure of the legislation in our joint...

Inquiry into the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Fair Go for Consumers and Small Business) Bill 2024

We are strongly supportive of a designated complaints function as an important addition to the regulatory landscape in Australia, reflecting the value of intelligence and quality of decision making in...

New Anti-Scam centre funding welcomed but will it help Bill who lost $20,000?

Consumer Action CEO Stephanie Tonkin has welcomed the extra funding announced in the Federal Budget for the Anti-Scam Centre, saying it’s a first step in the right direction, but deep concerns remain...

Australia’s banks failing customers by placing all the burden of the scams crisis on them says damning ASIC report

Australia’s four major banks are failing their customers by taking a ‘variable and…less mature’ approach to scams than expected, with ‘inconsistent and narrow approaches to determining liability’ as w...

Only a Federal Government mandate forcing banks to reimburse customers will solve growing scams crisis says Consumer Action

Scammers are targeting Australians online with highly sophisticated scams, stealing $billions from ordinary families and businesses every year -and it’s getting worse! That’s the message from the Aust...

Debt collection ban for social welfare recipients a step forward but ‘in-house’ approach must comply with Australian Consumer Law

Consumer Action Law Centre and Financial Counselling Australia have welcomed the Government’s announcement today banning the use of external debt collectors for social welfare recipients by Centrelink...

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