Instagram has quietly become a marketplace — and a scam vector. Influencers and small accounts sell pre-loved goods, drop-shipped products and “exclusive releases” via DM, often with bank-transfer-only payment. When the goods don’t arrive and you’re blocked, what then?
The legal context
If the seller has any Australian footprint — a registered business, an ABN, a public real name, an Australian bank account — you have the standard armoury: contract, the Australian Consumer Law, and common-law deceit. Many Instagram sellers operate as undeclared businesses; that doesn’t shield them from the ACL where they sell repeatedly.
Report the account to Meta for takedown, file with Scamwatch, and lodge a ReportCyber complaint.
Realistic outcomes
Burner accounts run from overseas with mule bank accounts are effectively untouchable. But many Instagram sellers are real Australians using their real first names, real bank details and real shipping addresses — recoverable. A Letter of Demand to a real person puts your claim in writing with a deadline.
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 is this about?
2. How much is at stake?
3. Do you have it in writing?
Your result is ready. Want a copy by email? (optional)
The document approach
The written demand goes to your own bank, not the Instagram seller. It attaches the DMs, the listing screenshots and the payment evidence, says when you reported the scam, and asks the bank to reimburse you within 30 days, citing its scam obligations. If the bank refuses or does not respond in time, you lodge the AFCA complaint.
What Claim Done delivers
For a flat fee, Claim Done drafts a written demand to your own bank to reimburse you, citing its scam obligations (the ePayments Code, the Banking Code of Practice and, where it applies, the Scams Prevention Framework), plus an AFCA complaint if the bank refuses. If the seller is an identifiable Australian, a Letter of Demand to them is a separate option.
What to expect after
Send the letter. Continue the platform report and bank recall. If your bank refuses to reimburse you, lodge the AFCA complaint.
Get your Scam Recovery Letter. Done in about 5 minutes.
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No card until the end. No subscription.
What happens when you put it in writing — properly
Same problem. What a prepared case looks like.
Getting it drafted
Can I have a Scam Recovery Letter drafted for me instead of writing it myself?
Yes. Claim Done (claimdone.com.au) drafts a Scam Recovery Letter from the answers you give about your situation for a flat $97 AUD. You read and confirm the draft, then the final PDF is emailed to you. Start at claimdone.com.au/begin/?service=scam-recovery. Claim Done is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.
How much does a Scam Recovery Letter cost, and how long does it take?
$97 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 Recovery Letter in Australia?
No. There is no legal requirement to use a solicitor to write or send a Scam Recovery Letter; many people send their own. Claim Done drafts it for you and you approve it before it is sent.