A Perth enterprise proprietor who has had $60,000 taken from his financial institution accounts through direct debits he didn’t approve says he has no choice however to shut accounts after his financial institution instructed him there was nothing extra it might do.
Since December 2025, Mark Bossong stated his Perth engineering enterprise financial institution accounts had been hit with 60 unauthorised direct debits, totalling about $60,000.
When he contacted his financial institution, ANZ, the transactions have been reversed and the cash refunded, however the financial institution instructed him it was powerless to stop additional unauthorised direct debits, and his solely choice could also be to shut the accounts.
That is even if not one of the direct debits had been authorised by him or his workers.
Mr Bossong instructed Nadia Mitsopoulos on ABC Radio Perth that it couldn’t put a cease on direct debits, and that additional investigation must be accomplished by the police.
“The financial institution stated to me, ‘You’ll want to watch out along with your BSB and account quantity and who you give it out to,'” Mr Bossong stated.
“And my response to the financial institution was, ‘I’ve my BSB and account quantity on each single bill and I give it out to lots of people — they’re referred to as prospects’.
“This is not a bank card. That is simply my checking account.“
Unstoppable withdrawals
Mr Bossong stated every unauthorised transaction took two hours on the cellphone to report and he was not glad that there was no more the financial institution might do.
In a response to a grievance, ANZ instructed him on February 26:
“Our assessment has not discovered any errors in how your accounts have been managed or in ANZ’s dealing with of the unauthorised direct debit exercise. ANZ acted appropriately and in keeping with the BECS [bulk electronic clearing system] direct debit framework, normal banking processes, and regulatory obligations.
Though we endeavour to watch and forestall suspicious exercise, ANZ can’t assure there will probably be no additional unauthorised direct debits out of your account.
ANZ has not responded to the ABC’s request for touch upon Mr Bossong’s story.
He has since lodged a report with the WA Police and a grievance with the Australian Monetary Complaints Authority (AFCA) concerning the financial institution’s dealing with of his case.
Mark Bossong says he has had round $60,000 taken from his accounts. (Unsplash:Â Glenn Carstens-Peters)
Within the meantime, his enterprise has needed to implement a fancy workaround to cease the withdrawals, that are nonetheless persevering with.
“Within the final couple of weeks, we have had at the least two or three makes an attempt and we’re nonetheless nowhere nearer to an answer,” he stated.
“It was something from $200 as much as about $8,000.
“They really weren’t profitable this time, as a result of we have needed to put a full block on our financial institution [accounts].
“Once we need to make a transaction, we name the financial institution, inform them we need to unblock the account, after which we make a transaction after which we re-block it once more.
“For the time being, that is the one means we will safeguard our cash.“
In an announcement, AFCA stated it couldn’t touch upon Mr Bossong’s grievance, however stated the ombudsman had seen a rise in complaints regarding direct debits.
“In 2025, there was a median of 33 transaction complaints a month referencing direct debit. In January 2026, this quantity surged to 60,” AFCA stated.
Structural problem
Mr Bossong stated he now deliberate to maneuver his accounts to a different financial institution.
“We have got some moderately good options there, higher communication quite than speaking to somebody from over east on a regular basis. We have got some native help.”
However he stated what occurred to his accounts might occur to anybody and he believed structural change to the direct debit system was required.
Mark Bossong says he’s pissed off with how ANZ has dealt with his case. (ABC Information: Yiying Li)
A number of the direct debits have been traced to an organization which handles direct debit transactions for health club memberships.
“We’ve got this factor referred to as the BECS, which is the majority digital clearing system. What meaning is that when somebody will get a direct debit authority, they will then take cash out of anybody’s account,” Mr Bossong stated.
“It is purported to be safe. You must get references from the financial institution and there is a complete bunch of regulation round it.
“Nonetheless, a few of these transactions that we have taken out of our account, [one is] a third-party health club membership program that handles funds.
“Gyms can signal as much as it after which they will do their direct debits by this platform. Because of this, it signifies that third events can are available in, signal as much as this after which they will begin taking cash out by these legit platforms.
“There’s an issue with the regulation round this.“
He stated folks typically wanted handy out their checking account particulars and will give you the option to take action with confidence that the banks might forestall withdrawals after they had not acquired a debit approval.
“Your BSB and account quantity is not privileged data,” he stated.
“You give it to your employer, you give it to gyms, you give it to your folks as you exit for dinner and get them to pay you again into your account. It is an ordinary factor in so many issues in life.”
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