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Lucinda Garbutt-Young

Scam victims to get automatic financial compensation

The government will release frameworks for the banking sector about how they must respond to scams. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)

Victims of scams could soon receive automatic compensation under plans from the federal government. 

Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino said scam victims with verified losses below $3000 will be automatically reimbursed to decrease the cost of investigations. 

"We are working with industry to make sure that the system is as robust as possible, so that we can prevent scams happening in the first place," he said on Thursday.

Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino
Daniel Mulino outlined plans to automatically reimburse victims of scams under $3000. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS)

"Where very low-value scams occur, we don't want those cases to go through very lengthy and costly and stressful dispute resolution processes."

Major banks will be responsible for paying the reimbursements. 

The federal government will also release frameworks for the banking and communications sectors, along with digital platforms, about how they must respond to scams. 

Sectors will be required to take stronger action from March 31.

Mr Mulino did not confirm specific requirements in the frameworks, but said he expected industries to do more work in preventing and detecting scams.

"We've been involved in in-depth consultations with all three sectors, and also consumer groups, to make (this work)," he said.

Australians lost $2.18 billion to scams in 2025, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

The largest types by monetary value were investment and redirection scams.

In the three months between October and December 2025, almost 110 million scam calls and 41 million scam texts were blocked.

"Everyone, including the telecommunications industry, has a role to play to stop people being ripped off by dodgy scams," Communications Minister Anika Wells said.

"The Scams Prevention Framework is another way the Albanese government is cracking down on those who are being taken advantage of."

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