“Humbugging” and hidden harm: calls grow to confront financial abuse of First Nations elders

Advocates and frontline services are warning that financial abuse of First Nations elders is often going unreported and misunderstood, with some saying the problem can be normalised inside families and communities and worsened by low digital literacy and limited access to protective banking support.

Workers described a pattern of coercion ranging from pressure at ATMs to misuse of bank cards, online banking details and even funds linked to compensation and redress payments. Kimberley Community Legal Services case worker Richard Willmot told the ABC the behaviour can be openly practised but rarely spoken about.

“Mainly, it would be paydays where they can grab the card or coerce the elderly person into purchasing something for them” he said. “Or they go shopping and just put stuff in the trolley that the elderly person doesn’t know about.”

Mr Willmot described the practice commonly known as “humbugging” (persistent demands for money without plans to repay) and warned it can be part of a wider pattern of harm. “It can include emotional abuse, coercion and controlling behaviours” he said. “When it affects the home, it affects it by overcrowding or damaging the property or people refusing to leave.”

Specialists say elders can be targeted because of kinship obligations, overcrowding pressures and fear of family conflict, while digital systems meant to improve access can expose people to scams, account takeovers and unauthorised transactions.

A spokesperson for the Attorney-General said a 10-year national plan to end the abuse and mistreatment of older people (including a section focused on First Nations people) would be released soon, alongside commissioned research.

Resources already exist, including community-focused toolkits on preventing Aboriginal elder financial abuse in the Kimberley, which use plain-language examples to help communities recognise warning signs and respond early. Separately, major financial institutions and sector partners have also highlighted the need for culturally safe supports and stronger pathways for victim-survivors to regain control of finances, identity documents, and debts created in their name.

The challenge, service providers say, is ensuring reforms translate into practical protections – including safe reporting options, local legal support and culturally informed banking responses that do not punish elders for seeking help.