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Michael Atkin
Michael Atkin is the ABC's national consumer affairs reporter based in Brisbane, Queensland.
An award-winning journalist, Michael was previously a reporter with the current affairs program 7.30 and has also worked in Sydney, Canberra and Hobart.
Michael has won multiple Queensland Clarion Media Awards, including for investigative journalism. Michael was Tasmania's Journalist of the Year in 2016 and has won several other Tasmanian media awards. He received the ABC's Andrew Olle Scholarship in 2011 and has also worked as a reporter and executive producer with triple j's Hack program.
You can contact Michael by email at atkin.michael@abc.net.au or follow him on Twitter at @michaelatkin. You can also reach him on the encrypted Signal messaging app at +61 447 279 901 or via encrypted email at michaelatkin@protonmail.com.
Latest by Michael Atkin
This mother feared she would end up in jail over huge phone bills, a problem experts say is greater than first thought
In 2021, Telstra faced court for its treatment of First Nations customers. New figures obtained by the ABC show the scale of the problem is much worse than first thought.
Did you lose money because of the Optus outage? Here's how to try and get it back
First the hack, then the outage. Many customers want out of Optus, while others want compensation. Here's a look at your consumer rights.
Questions unanswered a day after Optus outage cuts communication for millions of Australians
It's the day after the Optus outage struck more than 10 million customers and impacted health, education, transport and many other services. Read over our blog to see how the day unfolded.
Architects of failed housing scheme impacting retirees across the nation face court on criminal charges
Three men involved in a failed housing scheme which targeted elderly customers appear in a Perth court for allegedly breaching corporate law.
Damon spent $12,000 on his first car, but it soon cost him much more
Damon spent almost $12,000 on a second-hand car he barely drove. Trying to get it sorted was a long and complicated journey, and consumer groups are calling for change.
'I don't have time to be fixing up big companies' errors': Industry report shows rise of complaints about Optus
The telecommunications watchdog releases its annual report card on the country's telcos, and while complaints are down across the board, there’s one notable exception — Optus.
Superannuation payout delays throw spotlight on 'harrowing' ordeal for families
Since his partner's death, John's been locked in a lengthy battle with one of Australia's largest funds to get her super paid out. He's not alone, with the country's peak advocacy group calling for an end to lengthy delays and further grief for families.
Cars and property seized after Westpac failed to respond to hardship requests, ASIC alleges
Westpac is facing civil court proceedings from ASIC, which alleges it failed to respond to hardship requests within the time required by law.
Ruby tried to cancel her Amazon account in March, but got stuck in a 'subscription trap'
Ruby Callaghan has tried for six months to stop one of the world's retail giants from charging her unwanted fees. The federal government says it is looking at introducing legislation, known as "don't be a jerk laws", to help curb the issue.
When Christine sold her home, the buyer used the same law firm. Things soon became 'very sticky'
It's legal for one law firm to represent both sides of a real estate transaction but legal experts warn it can make navigating conflict difficult.
'They should be outraged': Insider blows whistle on real estate 'kickbacks' he claims could hurt homebuyers
It's banned in three states, but in other parts of Australia conveyancers are paying real estate agents to recommend their services in a practice one insider has described as unethical even though it's legal.
Families plead for Telstra to stop sending letters addressed to their dead loved ones
Telstra is sending letters to its deceased customers despite their family members pleading for the telco to stop the mail.
'Like a Monty Python skit': Telstra 'harassed' Jenny for nine years over her dead husband's account
Jenny Moncur's husband Royce died in 2014 after being diagnosed with cancer. Almost a decade later, she was still being contacted about his Telstra account.
Minister indicates Australia could follow UK and force banks to reimburse scam victims
The United Kingdom will force banks to compensate scam victims under a world-first scheme, and Australia's financial services minister now says he's considering similar rules here.
'I cannot use my own money': CommBank customers 'livid' as tech issue crashes banking services
The Commonwealth Bank apologises to customers after a major glitch prevents them from making purchases with their bank cards or accessing their accounts for hours.
'The stress was incredible': Marina says her battle with Telstra proves the industry needs new rules
An ombudsman report says too many telcos are failing to comply with the rules, and some of the rules are too soft, causing distress for phone and internet users.
This retiree googled 'money mule' after his bank told him he was one. What he found made him 'very nervous'
Mojib Rahman went from scam victim to "money mule", as he tried to recover his lost funds. Now his bank has apologised for the way it handled his case.
'Money mules' are working in teams and make up the majority of scams reported in Australia
Over a four-hour phone call, scammers gained access to Jenny's computer and transferred $300,000 out of her account. By the time she alerted the bank, it was too late.
Banks launch new weapon to help recover scam victims' money
Australia's under-pressure banks unveil a new tool to combat scam transactions, but consumer groups say they're still not doing enough to deal with an escalating problem.
Government reveals details of $58m anti-scams centre, with expert 'hit squads' targeting fraudsters
A national anti-scams centre is being established to help combat scams and online fraud, after Australians reported losing billions of dollars to fraudsters last year.
Two banks detected suspicious activity in Sarah's accounts. Only one blocked the scam
After Sarah was robbed of her life's savings, she entered a lengthy dispute with her bank to get her money back. She says she was treated rudely and, after months of fighting, she only got a fraction back.
If you're a scam victim, don't expect one of the big banks to repay you
The big banks are under growing pressure to do more to prevent scams and repay victims after a report by the corporate regulator found they only compensate a tiny number of customers.
'They made it sound so perfect and I lost the lot': The common scam that stole $1.5b from Australians in 2022
Australians lost more than $3.1 billion to scams in 2022, a new record and an 80 per cent increase from 2021, according to a new report that has prompted fresh calls for banks to do more to protect consumers.
'How easy it is, that's really the worst': Why Sharmy regrets turning to an app to help pay the bills
When Sharmy Walker was hit with a huge vet bill, she turned to a new type of fast-money app to help cover it. Now, she says she's trapped in a "vicious cycle" of debt.
Melissa has 'lost track' of how many times her business has been impersonated by scammers. She wants change
When scammers started using Magellan Logistics' name to trick Australian consumers, their phones ran hot, and the company didn't know who to turn to.