Debt collecting giant pursued 200,000 debts from Victorians while allegedly banned from operating in state

Guardian Australia understands that Panthera allegedly collected about $60m from more than 50,000 consumers in Victoria while flouting the ban. Photograph: David Burton/Alamy

One of Australia’s largest debt collecting firms attempted to claw back more than 200,000 individual debts in Victoria while allegedly banned from doing so by the state’s regulator, Guardian Australia can reveal.

Affected consumers who paid the company could be entitled to refunds if the collection activity is found to be in breach of the state ban.