Consumer Action Law Centre

23/06/2026

Banking Day has reported on the PayTo problems regaling Revolut in Australia where 250 dormant mule accounts were used to steal $3 million in a matter of weeks from mid-March to May. Revolut has pointed to ‘social engineering techniques’ being used.
Consumer Action Law Centre has slammed the nine-month delay in the implementation of the SPF, which was supposed to go live with core requirements on 1 July 2026, calling it a ‘betrayal’ of hundreds of thousands of Australians who, unprotected, will fall victim to financial crime in the coming months.
On the current trajectory everyday Australians will lose a further $2 billion in scam financial crime before the laws take effect.

Dating apps, standalone online marketplaces and crypto exchanges are out of scope under the proposed Scams Prevention Framework, leaving banks to carry the can for those scams.

23/06/2026

LOYALTY TAXES: Eleanor Doran, assistant director of policy and campaigns at the Consumer Action Law Centre, says “callers to our frontlines are suffering in this cost-of-living crisis where every dollar in their paycheck has to be accounted for. Penalising long-term customers makes a mockery of ‘loyalty’ and is profoundly unfair. People deserve the best deal today regardless of when they signed up to their plan.”

The market rulemaker’s recommendations have been roundly criticised for letting retailers off the hook.

22/06/2026

“The stories we heard from the HSBC victims who contacted us were heartbreaking, they were shamed by their bank and denied support when they reached out for help. It was a last-minute about-face by the bank that led to a reduced penalty, which should have been many $millions more.
Many lost life-changing amounts and then had to take on an adversarial HSBC which fought them tooth and nail. The cases were strikingly similar; HSBC was on notice of the scam and should have stopped the losses far sooner.”
“Widespread financial crimes are committed via digital platforms, telecommunications services and almost always using banking platforms. At some point major corporations who, unlike consumers, have access to scams intelligence and resources, must invest in protecting their users and customers. This judgment is a very important statement on point.”

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: they must protect their customers from scams. “As the Australian Securities and Investment Commiss...

22/06/2026

In May, the Federal Court ordered a $33.5 million penalty against Snaffle, operated through Walker Stores, for inflating prices and overcharging customers on credit contracts. Many of the customers were in vulnerable situations,
“Walker Stores is now in liquidation, and time is of the essence if you are going to make a claim,” says Anna Meulman, Managing Lawyer, Consumer Action Law Centre.
“We are getting more Snaffle customers calling our helplines for advice and we are telling them to make a claim as quickly as possible.”

In May, the Federal Court ordered a $33.5 million penalty against Snaffle, operated through Walker Stores, for inflating prices and overcharging customers on credit contracts. Many of the customers were in vulnerable situations, “Walker Stores is now in liquidation, and time is of the essence if y...

22/06/2026

Romance scams are a devastating crime, linking theft with often deep emotional loss. Victims feel helpless and alone, worse still, blamed for the losses they suffer through crime. Consumer Action Law Centre, Assistant Director, Policy and Campaigns, Meg Dalling, explains on ABC Radio Sydney, what makes romance scams particularly heinous, why there needs to be more compasion for victims, and why the upcoming Scam Prevention Framework MUST include digital platforms like Hinge, where many of these crimes originate.

Romance scams are a devastating crime, linking theft with often deep emotional loss. Victims feel helpless and alone, worse still, blamed for the losses they suffered through crime! Consumer Action La

22/06/2026

The need for a digital platform ombuds scheme is urgent as consumers need a way to enforce their rights, said Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Steph Tonkin, and “stand up to these international behemoths that don’t fit into our regulatory system and are a law unto themselves”.
“The Scam Prevention Framework (SPF) is a really significant start to regulating digital platforms, but there are substantial gaps that need filling. Consumers need a place to raise complaints about digital platforms where they are non-responsive, not covered by the SPF or involved in other breaches of the law,” Ms Tonkin said.
“An Ombudsman plays a key role in the regulatory framework, working with members to improve practice, in identifying emerging and systemic issues and informing regulators where misconduct occurs.”
Financial Counselling Australia CHOICE ACCAN

Imagine that a simple click has decimated your livelihood or lifeline to the world. That’s the reality for Australians’ whose accounts are going dark – at a massive cost.

22/06/2026

On his Hinge profile, the man had a “nice smile”, says Jane*, a Melbourne woman in her 30s. When they matched in May 2025, she thought he seemed like “just generally a nice person”.
By the time Jane, who has autism and a learning disability, realised she was being scammed, she had sent $646,035 to the man she had fallen in love with.

The Albanese government says Australia will have the ‘world’s toughest anti-scam laws’, but consumer advocates fear they’re lacking.
Financial Counselling Australia National Debt Helpline

The Albanese government says Australia will have the ‘world’s toughest anti-scam laws’, but consumer advocates fear they’re lacking

19/06/2026

Consumer Action Law Centre chief executive Stephanie Tonkin said the fraudulent text messages had acted as the "gateway".
She criticised the ACMA for not naming Telesign's involvement in the HSBC scam.
"I find that disappointing and entirely unhelpful," Ms Tonkin said.
In March 2024, Ms Tonkin publicly called on the ACMA to urgently investigate the HSBC scam
due to the growing number of victims.
She believes the regulator was too slow to act, although she concedes the limitations of the industry code.

A global telco that failed to stop more than 1,000 scam text messages from reaching Australians has faced no consequences, the ABC can reveal.

18/06/2026

Stephanie Tonkin, CEO of the Consumer Action Law Centre, said the settlement was a stunning turn-around.
"HSBC has fought tooth and nail, fought against its customers, fought against the regulator," she said.
"These scam victims were gaslit by their own bank.
"The same failures kept happening and the bank still kept failing to prevent it."

HSBC has admitted to failing to protect customers from scams and agreed to a $35 million penalty in the Federal Court.

18/06/2026

Speaking on the ABC's 7:30 Report, Stephanie Tonkin, CEO of Consumer Action Law Centre, says the Scam Prevention Framework must contain stronger obligations on firms to stops scams, otherwise it is just not going to work.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-17/will-australia-s-anti-scam-strategy-solve-the-problem-/106810588