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Financial abuse

Anyone can be affected by financial abuse and it often occurs in domestic and family violence situations. You are not alone. We are here to help.
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Need help now?

  • Call 000 if you’re in immediate danger
  • Call 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT for access to 24/7 counselling
  • Westpac's Priority Assist team are here to help you manage your finances during difficult times. Our experienced team members will talk to you about your situation and actions to take to protect your finances. Call Priority Assist on 1800 063 509.

What are potential signs of financial abuse?

Everyone's situation is different however there are some common signs of financial abuse listed below. For more information see the Australian Banking Association's Preventing and Responding to Financial Abuse Industry Guideline.

Control

  • Tracking someone’s location or spending
  • Limiting access to money
  • Sending abusive messages through payment descriptions.

Coercion

  • Pressuring someone to provide access to bank accounts or open new joint accounts
  • Making someone pay for another person's expenses or debts
  • Pressuring someone to become a guarantor or joint borrower.

Fraud

  • Using another person’s money or assets without their consent
  • Forging someone’s signature
  • Stealing someone's identity.

Understanding financial abuse

Financial abuse

Financial abuse occurs when someone tries to influence your financial decisions to their advantage, or misuse or control your money, property, or assets without your consent.


Some people may find themselves more vulnerable to financial abuse if they are:

  • Separating from a partner or going through a relationship breakdown. Read more on separation
  • Dependent on others for day-to-day care or social contact due to health conditions or aging. Read more on elder financial abuse. 

Domestic & family violence

Financial abuse is a form of intimate partner (also known as domestic) and family violence. Intimate partner and family violence includes actions or threats to gain or maintain power or coercive control over a current or former family member. It can be financial, emotional, physical, or sexual. This includes actions intended to frighten, intimidate, humiliate, or harm someone.


For more information on coercive control see the Australian Government’s Understanding Coercive Control Factsheet.

How you can help protect yourself from financial abuse

If you think you are experiencing financial abuse, contact the police.

There are some quick changes you can make to help protect yourself from financial abuse. These can be done online, or you can phone our Priority Assist team on 1800 063 509 if you'd like some help.

Update your contact information

Update your contact information including your phone number and address.

Consider changing your passwords and pins

Amend access to your online banking by changing your password, and change PINs on your debit and credit cards.

Open your own bank account

Keep your money safe in an account only you can access, and start to build emergency savings.

Adjust limits

There are some different ways you can apply limits to your spending or payments for online banking and debit cards.

Keep track of your money

Keep track of your accounts and investments. Consider push notifications for your accounts.

Report abusive messages

You can report offensive messages received as a payment description via the Westpac App.

How we can help if you are experiencing financial abuse

It’s a brave step to seek help to stop financial abuse. When you talk to us, your safety and privacy are our priority.

You can talk to our team members securely and confidentially about your situation and the measures you can take. Call Priority Assist on 1800 063 509. Our experienced team members are here to understand your situation and help you safely implement actions to protect your money and financial position. We may be able to help you:

Talk to us about hardship support

We have a range of solutions, such as varying loan repayments to give you time and space until you are safe and able to discuss long-term plans.

Financial hardship

Control debts

If safe to do so, consider freezing your current debt position by cancelling any redraw facilities on home loans or additional credit cards for which you are the primary cardholder.

Protect your money

Protect money in bank accounts by making joint accounts 'all to sign' and reviewing any third-party authorities so money cannot be taken without your approval.

Support beyond banking

1800 RESPECT

If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence.

Lifeline

Lifeline provides Australians experiencing a personal crisis with 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.

13 YARN

A 24 hours/7 days service to talk with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter.

No to Violence Men's Referral Service

No to Violence provides anonymous and confidential telephone counselling, information and referrals to men to help them take action to stop using violent and controlling behaviour.

Qlife

QLife provides anonymous and free LGBTI peer support and referral for people in Australia wanting to talk about sexuality, identity, gender, bodies, feelings or relationships.

The National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline

The Hotline is for reporting abuse or neglect of people with disability. 

National Debt Helpline

If you’re worried about your financial situation, National Debt Helpline (NDH) offers free, independent, confidential financial counselling to help assess and manage your situation.

Full Stop Australia

Full Stop Australia provides free 24/7 telephone and online counselling. If you have experienced violence or abuse we are here to help you

CWES Money Clinics

Money Clinics provide independent financial safety planning and information in a one-on-one session with a qualified, female, financial specialist who is violence-and trauma-informed.

Easy English guides

This guide explains how to get support if you are experiencing financial abuse.

Find out more

Elder financial abuse

Financial hardship

Fraud and scams

Things you should know

Westpac would like to acknowledge the expert guidance of OurWatch who helped develop the information on this page.

Westpac's approach to providing extra care for customers in vulnerable circumstances is guided by the Australian Banking Association's Banking Code of Practice. Links to the relevant industry guidelines are below.

Preventing and responding to family and domestic violence

Preventing and responding to financial abuse (including elder financial abuse)

Responding to requests from a POA or court-appointed administrator

Banks' financial difficulty programs.