Generally, financial institutions in Australia have 45 days to investigate a disputed transaction, much longer than the five days in which Commonwealth says it will return stolen funds. But that speedy return may depend on how eloquently a consumer complains to the bank. In my case, the bank was more than happy at first to quickly close the case, disingenuously shifting the liability to me absent a real investigation.

If you've had trouble recovering money after a skimming incident and are willing to assist in my reporting, please contact me at the email address below.