Scams laws passing a relief, but victims to face an uphill battle for redress

Consumer advocates say the passing of the Scams Prevention Framework (SPF) fills a gaping hole in the law and in time should protect many Australians from falling victim to the scourge of scams. But t...

February 13, 2025

OPINION: In this David and multiple Goliath battle scam victims must win

A slightly edited version of this opinion piece was published by News.com 3 February, 2025 At Consumer Action, our lawyers and financial counsellors speak with scam victims almost every day. People...

February 3, 2025

Straightforward compensation would put victims at the heart of the new Scams Bill

Consumer organisations fighting to ensure Australians are protected under the Scams Prevention Framework Bill will provide evidence today at a crucial Senate Economics Legislation Committee hearing....

January 28, 2025

Submission: Scams Prevention Framework Bill 2024

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January 14, 2025

ASIC sues HSBC Bank for failure to protect customers from scams

The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) has taken strong enforcement action, announcing today that it is suing HSBC Bank for its ‘widespread failures to act honestly, efficiently an...

December 16, 2024

Submission: Scams Prevention Framework – exposure draft legislation

This is a joint submission made on behalf of: • Consumer Action Law Centre • CHOICE • The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network • Financial Rights Legal Centre • Super Consumers Austr...

October 8, 2024

Consumer safeguards must be front and centre of new scams framework say consumer advocates

Consumer Action Law Centre, CHOICE, the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) and Super Consumers Australia, have welcomed the announcement from the Albanese Government of a consul...

September 13, 2024

AFCA scam complaints ‘off the charts’ while banks fail to reimburse customers

The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) received a record number of complaints in 2023-24 after disputes to the ombudsman service increased 9 per cent to more than 105,000 for the year. C...

August 1, 2024

POLLING: Big majority of Australians say banks should do their job and take responsibility for keeping our money safe

Banks victim-shaming approach ‘immoral’- Tonkin New polling by Essential Media is unequivocal: the vast majority (75%) of Australians expect banks to keep their money safe from criminal scammers, a...

July 15, 2024

OPINION: The victims of scams should not have to pay

First published in today's Herald Sun, by Stephanie Tonkin, CEO Consumer Action Law Centre I speak to the victims of scams every week and their stories leave me shaken and sad. Often, what’s stolen...

June 4, 2024

Mandatory codes for scams will work if the Govt can push banks, telcos and big tech companies to lift their game say consumer advocates 

Consumer advocates have welcomed the Albanese Government’s plan to set up the legislative framework and push to make the banks, telcos, and digital platforms lift their game to stop scams.    The m...

May 22, 2024

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...

April 29, 2024

OPINION: Slam the legal door on scams

By Stephanie Tonkin, CEO Consumer Action Law Centre (published in the Herald Sun, 18 March 2024) Last week, Scamwatch, our national body fighting scams and part of the Australian Competition and Co...

March 18, 2024

Scam victims head to Canberra to tell politicians why banks should be incentivised to stop scams

Tim Watkins, Sarah Gerendasi, James Green, and Nina Merrilees were robbed of thousands of dollars by scammers. They are travelling to Canberra today to share their stories at the launch of the new Par...

February 6, 2024

Advocates set out crystal-clear path to reimbursement to prevent the billions being lost by Australians to scams 

A coalition of advocacy groups, including Consumer Action Law Centre, CHOICE and the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network, have come out forcefully stating that customer reimbursement, pa...

February 5, 2024

Scams – Mandatory Industry Codes Consultation Paper

Consumer Action Law Centre, CHOICE and the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network have been conducting regular roundtables with scams victims and consumer organisations, to develop our resp...

February 5, 2024

Scams: Mandatory regulation outline promising but more clarity needed on standards and consumers’ rights to reimbursement

The mandatory Code for Scams consultation paper announced by the Federal Treasury today sets out some proposals to tackle the scams crisis, however the final regulation must land on clearer stipulated...

November 30, 2023

Australian Banking Association application for authorisation AA1000645

Consumer Action, Financial Rights and CHOICE are calling on the banking industry to do more to prevent scams, as increasing losses are having a devastating impact on individuals and the Australian eco...

August 4, 2023

Complaints about financial firms to AFCA skyrocket as thousands of Australians left behind   

The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) has revealed that consumers in dispute with financial firms lodged a record 96,987 complaints in the past 12 months, an unprecedented rise of 34 pe...

July 28, 2023

OPINION: Scammers raid Australians’ accounts while banks hands-off approach stings  

Tania Clarke, Acting CEO Consumer Action Law Centre  Last year bank customers in the UK experienced a 17% drop in scam losses while in Australia, bank customers experienced a 62% increase. Between...

July 13, 2023

Australian scam victims left behind as UK puts responsibility on banks to reimburse customers  

In a world first, the UK Parliament this week passed legislation that will protect banking customers from the losses they experience as a direct result of being tricked by scammers. British banks a...

June 30, 2023

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...

May 15, 2023

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...

April 17, 2023

OPINION: Banks must use their windfall profits to tackle the scam crisis  

By Stephanie Tonkin, CEO, Consumer Action Law Centre   The big four banks are tipped to make record profits this financial year, with some analysts suggesting they will collectively rake in more th...

March 27, 2023

Scams must be stopped: Westpac alerts for mis-matched payments and money transfer measures welcomed 

Consumer Action CEO Stephanie Tonkin says Westpac’s announcement of a new verification system for payments and money transfer measures to new accounts are “…steps in the right direction to help stop t...

March 7, 2023

OPINION: Banks, get tougher on scams

An edited version of this opinion piece appeared in the Herald Sun 18 February, 2023 You’d be hard-pressed these days to find someone who hasn’t been the target of a scam. Whether it’s a fraudulent...

February 20, 2023

Consumer Action calling on banks to block payments to scammers and reimburse victims 

Australia’s banks should  quickly introduce measures to stop scams, make their systems safer and reimburse victims or be made by Government to do so, says Consumer Action CEO Stephanie Tonkin. Ms Tonk...

February 15, 2023

Australia’s banks should follow CBA’s lead and introduce stronger measures to stop scams

The Commonwealth Bank (CBA) has announced it is introducing measures to strengthen its payment system that will make it harder for crooks to scam their customers. The measures called NameCheck and Cal...

February 3, 2023

OPINION: Optus data breach underscores urgent need for reforms to protect Australians from scams

Opinion piece by Gerard Brody, CEO Consumer Action The massive data breach affecting up to 9.8 million Optus customers has shone a spotlight on what can be done to protect Australians from harm and...

September 29, 2022

With scams at crisis levels, banks and payment system providers must do more 

Online and telephone scams targeting Australians are now at crisis levels and victims will continue to bear the burden of financial losses, which will only get worse without urgent action from governm...

September 8, 2022

Banks can do more to stop scams say consumer advocates 

Australia’s banks can do much more to stop the plague of scams that is destroying families and costing the economy more than $2 billion annually. That’s the message from consumer advocates in response...

July 4, 2022

Crypto: As risky as gambling and a haven for scams that demands action

Consumer Action is calling for meaningful protections from scams to apply to businesses operating in the crypto sector. The call comes in a submission to the Treasury’s consultation paper Crypto as...

May 30, 2022

More than $2billion lost as redress system fails scammed Aussies

Today is World Consumer Rights Day, which this year focuses on the need for fairer digital finance for all, including better protection from online scammers. New analysis from Consumer Action reveals...

March 15, 2022

Banks should take more responsibility for scams

The Treasurer’s proposed transformation of the regulation of payment systems is an opportunity to embed financial safety, and ensure protections are built in from the outset says Consumer Action's CEO...

January 3, 2022

Tougher consumer protections at core of payments reform welcomed

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s announcement today that the Government intends to reform Australia’s payment systems is a real opportunity to improve consumer protection, according to Consumer Action Law...

December 8, 2021

Consumer groups call for new ombudsman to ‘prune’ lemon cars 

Consumer advocates are calling on the Victorian Government to commit to a free and effective dispute resolution service for Victorians who are sold ‘lemon’ cars by car dealers in next year’s Budget....

November 17, 2021

COVID, scams and growing risks: Why we need consumer protections with teeth

Opinion piece by Gerard Brody, CEO Consumer Action.  If there is one thing that changed about our lives from COVID-19, it’s the dramatic shift to online communication and shopping. According to the...

November 4, 2021

Scam losses are increasing dramatically- what should be done?

Opinion piece by Gerard Brody, CEO Consumer Action As more and more people contact Consumer Action Law Centre regarding scam losses, and increasingly large losses, I've been thinking about the adequa...

September 23, 2021

Scam alert: Be aware

We’ve had reports of scammers falsely using Consumer Action’s name to obtain money and banking details from their victims. Consumer Action is not responsible for these calls. We will never ask for mon...

February 17, 2021