Financial abuse

This page is for people experiencing financial abuse. Here you’ll learn about the steps you can take to protect your banking and what you can do if you’re in financial difficulty. If you're in immediate danger, call 000.

What is financial abuse? Signs to look out for

Financial abuse is a form of family violence that involves the use of power, control or manipulation over someone’s finances or financial situation.

Signs of financial abuse can include:

• denying you access to your own finances, bank accounts and financial records
• preventing you from working or studying
• threatening to stop supporting you or your children
• encouraging you to hand over control of assets you own
• making you take out loans or credit cards in your name that are for someone else, or guarantee a loan
• controlling all the decisions about how money is spent in your household
• using joint debts to stop you leaving a relationship
• asking you to explain all your spending
• taking out loans or credit cards in your name, without you knowing
• not paying their share of joint loans or delaying property settlements to cause you financial stress or hardship.

What is family violence?

Family violence (also called domestic violence) is any violent, threatening, coercive or controlling behaviour that occurs in a family or relationships, including past relationships.

It can happen to anyone, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, sexuality or financial situation and refers to violence between family members such as partners, parents and children, siblings and more.

What is elder abuse?

Older people can be vulnerable as they often depend on others for help with financial tasks and decisions. Forms of abuse can occur often through people who are trusted including family members, support workers, carers, guardians and strangers. A common example of elder financial abuse is coercion, intimidation and misuse of Power of attorney or Guardianship.