"As any person who has had money removed from their account by a thief will be aware, making the bank understand that it was not the customer who withdrew the money can be far from easy," Mason wrote in his journal article.

I finally saw the $800 put back in my account after I sent a stern letter modeled on a draft that , intended for use by people who are having trouble getting a refund. After I received my refund, I decided to write a column about skimming.

Commonwealth Bank spokeswoman Tracy Hicks said no one could be found to answer my questions, while other queries couldn't be answered on security grounds.

Illustrating their reluctance to discuss the topic, Commonwealth Bank even declined to verify that a document I had with the terms and conditions for consumer accounts, including information about liability for fraud, was up-to-date and reflected current policy.

The bank does subscribe voluntarily to Australia's , which describes liability in the case of disputed transactions.