12 stories this week:
Anti-corruption watchdog report ‘unanimous’ but crossbenchers signal whistleblower, public hearings fight ahead – 11 November 2022
Australia has inched closer to having a federal anti-corruption watchdog after a multi-partisan committee scrutinising the proposal handed down a unanimous report in support of it.
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Pilot accused of illegally chartering flights told wife ‘it’s only money, no one’s been run over’ – 11 November 2022
Josh Hoch, a pilot has appeared in court accused of chartering flights for Katter’s Australia Party members without a certificate to fly commercially. He has pleaded not guilty to 14 charges.
Cyber Security Minister Clare O’Neil flags multiple reforms to protect personal data after Medibank data leaks – 13 November 2022
The Federal Government is considering making it illegal to pay ransoms. Tighter regulation could also extend to data retention, something Cyber Security MinisterClare O’Neil described as a “national vulnerability’. Data retention forms part of a review of the Privacy Act currently being undertaken by Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-13/medibank-data-breach-cybersecurity-latest/101648178
The whistleblower tapes exposing racism in Queensland’s police force – 13 November 2022
Audio recordings leaked to Guardian Australia, by a whistleblower reveal several officers and sworn police using racist and offensive language, while working in a Brisbane watch house. The audio, condemned by Queensland police and the state government, follows evidence at the state inquiry into police responses to domestic and family violence, which included dozens of examples of racist, misogynistic and sexist behaviour.
US prosecutors seek 15 years in prison for Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes – 13 November 2022
US prosecutors have recommended Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes spend 15 years in prison and pay $US800 million ($A1.1 billion) to investors defrauded by her blood testing start-up. The company claimed to be able to run many tests on one drop of blood. It collapsed in 2015 after a series of articles suggesting its devices were flawed.
Wannabe rapper confronted over $700k worth of missing gold – 13 November 2022
Abdel Ghadia, found $760,000 in his bank account – and bought gold bars and coins before police arrested him last year. It seems that a mortage brokers email was comprised and a couple purchasing a house where told to transfer into Abdels bank account. Police arrested Ghadia as part of a major crackdown on a ruthless cybercrime syndicate. However, court documents revealed there is no indication Ghadia was involved in the money transfer and the $700,000 worth of gold the rapper bought, has not been recovered.
https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/rapper-confronted-over-700-000-dollars-worth-of-missing-gold/94265019-e811-4f2c-9cdc-0658e9aedfdb
NEWS: Australia is ‘economically vulnerable’ to dirty money says FinCrime expert – 15 November 2022
A financial crime expert has warned that Australia is “economically vulnerable” to money laundering. Nathan Lynch, author of the Lucky Laundry explained that the country’s role as a “major international hub” for laundering dirty money has developed due to Australia’s dependence on foreign funding.
https://www.amlintelligence.com/2022/11/news-australia-is-economically-vulnerable-to-dirty-money/
Subscription to AML required to read full article
Two men who conspired to manipulate recruitment processes at Department of Finance avoid jail – 15 November 2022
Abdul ‘Alex’ El-Debel and Raminder Kahlon were found guilty of conspiring with a third man to dishonestly obtain a benefit from the Commonwealth, by putting forward candidates from companies with which they were associated. They will rve intensive corrections orders for three and a half years, and will also have to complete 300 hours of community service.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-15/finance-public-servant-businessman-spared-jail-fraud-conspiracy/101654260
Inside a scam: How cybercriminals are shaping Australia’s digital future – 15 November 2022
Cybercrime is the new face of organised crime – except in the online world, you can’t see the crooks. The hackers hide behind their keyboards and phones, wreaking havoc from every corner of the globe. Debroah night, has created the Pod Cast Anatomy of a Scam, were she breaks down some of the more common scams doing the rounds and explore the technology and psychology used by the cyber-crooks.
Government boosts whistleblower laws – 16 November 2022
Whistleblowers in Australia will be afforded stronger protections under new government legislation set to hit parliament. It means Australia will have stronger whistleblower protections in place before the National Anti-Corruption Commission gets going, which is expected from the middle of 2023.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/government-boosts-whistleblower-laws-231717027.html
Jim Marinis and Mary-Jane Daffy lose $40,000 and rack up over $20,000 debt in banking scam saga – 16 November 2022
Jim Marinis and Mary-Jane Daffy, a couple who are small business owners in Melbourne, have lost $40,000 from suspected fraudulent bank transactions, after their personal data was stolen. The cyber criminals also racked up $20,000 debt in personal loans taken out online in their name and applied for a $200,000 loan. The Melbourne based criminals are quite experienced and created a spider’s net so extensive, as they hacked Mr Marini’s personal accounts one after the other including his MyGov account.
Email invoice scam targets Victorian farmers, with ‘insane’ amounts of money lost to criminals – 18 November 2022
Scammers have been targeting Victorian farmers with fake invoices that appear to be from regular suppliers. The scammers are including dodgy phone numbers too and it often goes to someone who speaks perfect English.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-18/email-invoice-scam-targets-farmers-victoria-hackers/101659502
