Commonwealth Bank has introduced new rules for online banking after discovering abusive messages in the transaction descriptions of thousands of customers.
The issue came to light after the bank noticed disturbing messages in the account of a customer experiencing domestic and family violence.
That instance prompted staff to find that more than 8,000 customers had received multiple payments, often less than $1, with abusive messages in the transaction description, effectively using the bank's online platform as a messaging service.
"We were horrified by both the scale and the nature of what we found," Catherine Fitzpatrick, the bank's general manager of community and customer vulnerability, said.
"The nature [of the messages] ranged from fairly innocuous 'jokes' using profanities to serious threats and clear references to domestic and family violence."
Under the revised guidelines, the bank may refuse transactions and suspend online access for customers who use its online services to stalk, harass or intimidate others.
"The message is simple: we can see you and we won't tolerate the use of our digital banking platforms to facilitate abuse," Ms Fitzpatrick said.
Australian Banking Association chief executive Anna Bligh said banks were aware of the issue and were taking steps to tackle it.
Australian Banking Association chief executive Anna Bligh. Source: AAP
"The use of bank transaction communications as a vehicle for threatening abuse gives a shocking insight into the lengths that violent partners will go to threaten, harass and abuse."
Anyone with concerns should contact their bank, she said.
Spike in technology-facilitated abuse
On Thursday, Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety (ANROWS) warned that technology-facilitated abuse had spiked amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The group said over the first half of this year, traffic to the website of the eSafety Commissioner - which offers information about technology-facilitated abuse - had doubled.
The Commissioner's office recorded a 200 per cent surge in image-based abuse over March and April (when compared to the 2019 monthly average), and one weekend in April saw a 341 per cent spike in people targeted by a sex-based extortion scam.
On Thursday, ANROWS launched new research to investigate the extent and impact of technology-facilitated abuse in Australia.
The group said there is evidence to suggest this type of abuse is growing overseas and there is an urgent need for current evidence on the extent of the problem here.
"There are gaps in our understanding that we need to fill," said Associate Professor Asher Flynn from Monash University, who will be co-leading the project.
ANROWS CEO Heather Nancarrow said the research "will look at ways to more effectively disrupt, prevent and respond to technology-facilitated abuse".
Welcoming the research, Families and Social Services Minister Anne Ruston said: "as technology becomes ever more pervasive in our everyday lives, unfortunately, this means there are more opportunities for the very technology we rely on to be misused for abuse".
Additional reporting: AAP
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