AFCA Alerts SMEs to Risks of Unregulated Lenders Amid Complaint Surge

The Importance of Verifying Lender Credentials for Small Business Loans

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The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) has issued a warning to small businesses regarding the risks associated with unregulated lenders.

This comes in response to a notable increase in complaints that AFCA cannot address due to the lenders' lack of membership in the authority.

In the last financial year, AFCA received a record 4,648 small business complaints, with 2,063 related to finance. However, 21% of these finance-related complaints were closed because the lenders were not AFCA members, leaving business owners without recourse through the authority.

AFCA's lead ombudsman for small business, Suanne Russell, highlighted the growing concern over this trend, emphasizing the importance for SMEs to verify a lender's membership status before securing finance. Businesses can check a lender's membership through AFCA's online resources.

For small business owners, this serves as a crucial reminder to conduct thorough due diligence when seeking financing. Ensuring that a lender is regulated and a member of AFCA can provide a layer of protection and access to dispute resolution services if issues arise.

Published:Wednesday, 19th Nov 2025
Author: Paige Estritori

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