ABC Australian Story "Nabbed" Pulled: Ian Williams Sues NAB, Then Undisclosed Convictions Derail Broadcast

The ABC's flagship documentary program Australian Story has confirmed that its heavily promoted episode featuring Victorian pensioner Ian Williams — titled Nabbed — will never go to air, after the broadcaster discovered undisclosed serious historical convictions held by its subject just hours before broadcast.

What Was the Australian Story Ian Williams Episode About?

The episode, Nabbed – Ian Williams, was set to air Monday, February 23 on ABC at 8:00 PM ET and had received extensive promotion across ABC television, ABC Radio, and online platforms throughout the day. The Australian Story episode followed Victorian pensioner Ian Williams, who lost $1,338 in a banking scam and expected a quick refund and apology. Instead, his bank — a subsidiary of the National Australia Bank — blamed him for the transactions, despite his own detective work producing evidence to the contrary.

The bank's attitude so incensed the self-confessed "stubborn bugger" that he sued for $379,005,000 — a figure Williams calculated by applying 5.5 percent of his annual income to NAB's annual earnings, saying it "was a number that in my mind would get the bank's attention."

Ian Williams Sues NAB: The Legal Battle Explained

Williams argued that NAB demonstrated "a systemic abuse of power," knowledge of his vulnerability, and a "deliberate disregard for fair dealing." His claims included that the bank failed to secure his banking credentials and transaction data, failed to use fraud detection protocols that would have flagged the transactions as fraudulent, breached its duty to protect customers from unauthorised transactions, and failed to comply with the ASIC ePayments Code.

Ian Williams' working life has spanned bricklayer, private investigator, nurse, horse breaker, and bouncer — but representing himself in the Supreme Court proved to be one of his toughest assignments. He also joined the Scam Victim Alliance, an advocacy group pushing for stronger legal protections for fraud victims.

Why Did ABC Pull Australian Story Tonight?

The episode had been promoted to air on Monday, February 23 at 8:00 PM, but was withdrawn just hours before broadcast. Viewers instead saw a repeat of Striking a Chord – Astrid Jorgensen, first broadcast in September last year.

An ABC spokesperson confirmed: "The ABC received new information about Mr Ian Williams on Monday afternoon prior to Australian Story airing that was unrelated to his case against National Australia Bank. We have since confirmed Mr Williams was convicted of serious historical offences, which he failed to disclose to the ABC. Content featuring Mr Williams on the ABC no longer meets our editorial standards and is being removed. The Australian Story will not go to air."

NAB's Response to the Ian Williams Banking Scam Case

Despite the broadcast being cancelled, NAB had already issued a public statement acknowledging its handling of the matter. Craig Swinburne, NAB Executive, stated: "What happened to Mr Williams was really upsetting — scams can happen to anyone and have a serious financial and emotional impact. We know we could have done better in how we communicated and supported Mr Williams. We met with Mr Williams last year to say sorry."

Chris Sheehan, head of fraud at NAB, also acknowledged: "I completely understand why he decided to go down the path he decided to go down. We could have done things a lot better."

Key Facts at a Glance

What Happens Now for Australian Story Tonight and Beyond

The ABC has confirmed the Ian Williams Australian Story episode will not be rescheduled or broadcast in any form. The broader issues raised by the case — bank accountability for scam victims, the adequacy of the ASIC ePayments Code, and reimbursement obligations — remain live public policy debates, separate from Williams' personal history. NAB has stated it is continuing to strengthen fraud education and customer protections across both uBank and NAB platforms.