Your bank refused to refund a scam or unauthorised transaction, or has not resolved it? A refusal is usually the bank’s own internal decision — it is not the end of the road. You can put a formal complaint to the bank’s Internal Dispute Resolution, ask for a written final response, and then take the matter to AFCA, the free and independent external dispute resolution service. This does not guarantee a refund, but it puts your complaint properly on the record.
Your rights when the bank says no
How your complaint is framed depends on what happened, though the framing does not decide the outcome.
If the transaction was unauthorised — a scammer accessed your account, codes or device and moved money without you knowingly approving it — your complaint can rely on the ePayments Code, a voluntary code administered by ASIC. Where a bank subscribes to it, the bank must investigate an unauthorised transaction and apply the Code’s liability-allocation rules. The Code does not guarantee a refund, and you can ask the bank to confirm whether it subscribes and, if so, to apply it.
If you authorised the payment yourself after being deceived, there is no automatic right to a refund. Your complaint instead asks the bank to review whether it met its scam-detection, transaction-monitoring, warning and duty-to-inquire obligations, and whether it should have intervened, held or queried the payment. A Scams Prevention Framework is coming for the banking and other sectors, commencing on 31 March 2027, so those are future duties, not ones the bank already fully owes.
Either way, if the bank does not resolve your complaint you can lodge it with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) — the free and independent external dispute resolution service for banking and payment complaints. You lodge with AFCA yourself, online, by letter, by email or by phone. From 12 March 2026, AFCA’s jurisdiction expanded so it can also examine receiving banks and unauthorised ‘mule’ accounts even where you are not that bank’s customer, so if you know which bank received the funds you can name it as well.
What to do
- Put a formal complaint to the bank’s Internal Dispute Resolution. Set out the transactions, the total loss and the timeline, and ask for a written final response by a deadline. Quote any complaint or reference number the bank has already given you.
- Frame the claim on the facts. As an unauthorised transaction under the ePayments Code, or as a request that the bank review its scam-detection and warning obligations where you were deceived into paying.
- Gather your record. The dates each transaction happened, when you realised it was a scam, when and how you first contacted the bank, and exactly what the bank has said, including any refusal.
- Lodge with AFCA. Once you have the bank’s final response, or the deadline passes without one, lodge your complaint statement with AFCA. It is free to you and decides complaints independently.
- Name the receiving bank if you know it. Since 12 March 2026 AFCA can also examine the bank that received the money and the ‘mule’ account it went to, even if you are not that bank’s customer.
Ready to put it in writing?
Answer 3 quick questions to check you have the details your document needs, and see your next step.
1. Who owes you?
2. How much?
3. Do you have it in writing?
Your result is ready. Want a copy by email? (optional)
Do it yourself, or have it drafted
You can write the bank complaint and lodge with AFCA yourself for free. If you would rather have it done properly, Claim Done drafts two documents for a flat $49: a formal complaint to your bank’s Internal Dispute Resolution asking for a written final response by a deadline, and a ready-to-lodge complaint statement for AFCA with the outcome you are seeking set out clearly. You download both and lodge them yourself — first with your bank, then with AFCA. Claim Done is a flat $49 document service, does not lodge anything for you, takes no percentage of anything you recover, and cannot guarantee a refund. Start your scam refund escalation.
Frequently asked questions
Can you make the bank refund me?
No, and we do not promise a refund. These documents put your complaint formally to the bank and then to AFCA, the free external dispute resolution service, which decides complaints independently. Claim Done drafts the documents; it cannot guarantee an outcome.
What is AFCA, and is it free?
AFCA is the Australian Financial Complaints Authority, the free and independent external dispute resolution service for banking and payment complaints, including scam complaints. You lodge your complaint with AFCA yourself, online, by letter, by email or by phone, and it is free for you.
Does it matter whether the transaction was unauthorised or I was tricked into paying?
Yes, it changes how your complaint is framed. If a scammer accessed your account, codes or device without you knowingly approving the payment, that is an unauthorised transaction and the bank must investigate it under the ePayments Code. If you made or approved the payment yourself after being deceived, we instead ask the bank to review whether it met its scam-detection and warning obligations. Neither framing guarantees a refund.
The bank already said no. What now?
A refusal is usually the bank’s internal decision. The pack asks the bank for a written final response, then gives you a complaint statement to lodge with AFCA, which reviews the matter independently and at no cost to you.
How long does AFCA take?
Timeframes vary with the complexity of the complaint, so we do not quote a fixed figure. Check AFCA’s own website for its current guidance.
Do you take a percentage of anything I get back?
No. It is a flat $49 for the two documents, with nothing taken from any amount you recover. And never pay anyone who contacts you promising to recover your lost money for a fee: that is a common follow-up scam.
What happens when you send a Scam Refund Escalation Pack
Same problem. What a prepared case looks like.
Getting it drafted
Can I have a Scam Refund Escalation — Bank Complaint + AFCA Complaint drafted for me instead of writing it myself?
Yes. Claim Done (claimdone.com.au) drafts a Scam Refund Escalation — Bank Complaint + AFCA Complaint from the answers you give about your situation for a flat $49 AUD. You read and confirm the draft, then the final PDF is emailed to you. Start at claimdone.com.au/begin/?service=scam-refund-afca-complaint. Claim Done is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.
How much does a Scam Refund Escalation — Bank Complaint + AFCA Complaint cost, and how long does it take?
$49 AUD flat, shown before you pay, with no subscription. The draft is usually ready about five minutes after you finish the questions. It covers every Australian state and territory.
Do I need a lawyer to send a Scam Refund Escalation — Bank Complaint + AFCA Complaint in Australia?
No. There is no legal requirement to use a solicitor to write or send a Scam Refund Escalation — Bank Complaint + AFCA Complaint; many people send their own. Claim Done drafts it for you and you approve it before it is sent.