Most writing about this framework is addressed to compliance teams. The part that matters to somebody who has actually lost money is shorter and it is worth saying plainly.

The framework gives you a defined status. The Act carries a section headed "Meaning of SPF consumer" alongside sections headed "Meaning of scam" and "Meaning of actionable scam intelligence" (https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A00109/latest/text). You are not, in this scheme, a person who made a mistake. You are a category the legislation names and builds obligations around.

It gives you a route in, and the route is a legal obligation on the business rather than a courtesy. Under the Respond principle the Act carries sections headed "Enabling SPF consumers to easily report activities that are or may be scams, civil penalty provision", "Having an accessible and transparent internal dispute resolution mechanism, civil penalty provision", "Publishing information about reporting and dispute resolution mechanisms, civil penalty provision" and "SPF external dispute resolution schemes, civil penalty provisions" (https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A00109/latest/text). A business that makes a scam complaint hard to lodge is not merely being unhelpful under this scheme.

It puts your compensation ahead of the regulator penalty. Division 6 of Part IVF, headed "Enforcing the Scams Prevention Framework", carries a section headed "Preference must be given to compensation for victims", sitting immediately beside one headed "Multiple remedies can be sought for a single contravention" (https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A00109/latest/text). The same Division carries a Subdivision headed "Actions for damages" and another headed "Orders (other than awards of damages) to redress loss or damage" (https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A00109/latest/text).

And it gives you an external decision maker from 31 March 2027, when AFCA "will handle eligible scam-related complaints not resolved through a business internal dispute resolution process" (https://www.accc.gov.au/about-us/scams-prevention-framework).

None of that is self-executing. Every one of those routes turns on what can be shown about what happened, when, and what the business did about it. That is the work this practice does.

For reporting a scam and for current scam warnings, the ACCC directs consumers to Scamwatch and the National Anti-Scam Centre (https://www.accc.gov.au/about-us/scams-prevention-framework).

AFCA own consultation material on the Scams Prevention Framework rules is published at https://www.afca.org.au/news/consultation/afca-scams-prevention-framework-rules-consultation.

SOURCES

Scams Prevention Framework Act 2025, No. 15 of 2025, C2025A00015, made 20 February 2025, in force, administered by the Department of the Treasury: https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2025A00015/asmade/text

Competition and Consumer Act 2010, current compilation, Part IVF Scams Prevention Framework, table of contents: https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A00109/latest/text

Competition and Consumer (Scams Prevention Framework) Rules 2026, F2026L01140, made 31 August 2026, registered 31/08/2026 13:42:12, in force: https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2026L01140/asmade/text https://api.prod.legislation.gov.au/v1/titles/F2026L01140

Competition and Consumer (Scams Prevention Framework, Regulated Sectors) Designation 2026, F2026L00627, made 22 May 2026, in force: https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2026L00627/asmade/text https://api.prod.legislation.gov.au/v1/titles/F2026L00627

Competition and Consumer (Scams Prevention Framework, External Dispute Resolution) Authorisation 2026, F2026L00685, made 2 June 2026, in force: https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2026L00685/asmade/text https://api.prod.legislation.gov.au/v1/titles/F2026L00685

Competition and Consumer (Scams Prevention Framework, Code) Delegations 2026, F2026N00391, made 2 June 2026, in force: https://api.prod.legislation.gov.au/v1/titles/F2026N00391

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Scams Prevention Framework: https://www.accc.gov.au/about-us/scams-prevention-framework

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission media release, 13 February 2025, ACCC welcomes passage of world-first scams prevention laws: https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/accc-welcomes-passage-of-world-first-scams-prevention-laws

The Hon Dr Daniel Mulino MP, Assistant Treasurer, media release, Consulting on industry codes and rules to protect consumers from scams: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/daniel-mulino-2025/media-releases/consulting-industry-codes-and-rules-protect-consumers

Australian Financial Complaints Authority, Scams Prevention Framework rules consultation: https://www.afca.org.au/news/consultation/afca-scams-prevention-framework-rules-consultation