CommBank liable following elder abuse enquiry

CBA has been ordered to compensate an elderly couple after their daughter made unauthorised withdrawals from their bank account.

Published: 12 May 2025
  • national
  • 12 May 2025
  • Banking Day

The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) says the Commonwealth Bank is liable to compensate an elderly couple $71,000 following a series of unauthorised transactions conducted by their daughter.

One of the couple was aged over 80 and their partner over 90.

Between October 2022 and November 2023, a total of $79,263 was transferred from two accounts to the complainants’ daughter and granddaughter. Deposits totalling $7940 were made by the daughter to one account in this period, leaving the net value of disputed transactions at $71,323. 

AFCA said the complainants say they do not use internet banking, and that the daughter accessed her mother’s internet banking without her knowledge and consent to perform the disputed transactions.