9 stories this week:
Cabinet backs new money laundering laws to target organised crime – 23 June 2022
The NSW government will introduce laws to confiscate unexplained wealth from criminal gangs and ban the use of encrypted devices as part of long-waited reforms to combat money laundering and organised crime. The new measures are designed to cripple the finances of crime networks, stopping criminals from profiting from their actions and incapacitating them financially.
Access to digital version of SMH required to read article
Man sentenced in Batemans Bay court for dealing with proceeds of online puppy scam – 27 June 2022
Steven Rootsey, from NSW has been fined $6,000 and sentenced to a two-year community corrections order for dealing with nearly $50,000 in swindled funds related to an online puppy scam. He was asked to convert money to cryptocurrency by an unknown person via Snapchat and was promised 10 per cent of the funds in return.
Queensland IT guru found guilty of $73,000 insurance fraud – 28 June 2022
Anthony Onyeka Okeke tricked Allianz Insurance and QBE Insurance into paying insurance claims, for four vehicles after he staged or fabricated a series of crashes. He was found guilty of defrauding insurance companies of more than $40,000 and trying to dishonestly get more than $30,000.
Government hunts down fake businesses with intensified fraud crackdown – 28 June 2022
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) executed raids across the country to crack down on individuals suspected of defrauding by inventing fake businesses and ABNs to claim false refunds.
Zhenya Tsvetnenko handed eight-year jail term in US for multi-million-dollar text message scam – 29 June 2022
Perth man Zhenya Tsvetnenko has been sentenced to eight years in a federal US prison, for his role in a multi-million-dollar text messaging scam. Tsvetnenko and his co-conspirators defrauded hundreds of thousands of mobile telephone consumers in the United States by placing unauthorised charges on their mobile phone bills. The practice – known as “auto-subscribing”.
‘Cryptoqueen’ accused of $US4 billion OneCoin fraud added to FBI’s most-wanted list – 1 July 2022
Ruja Ignatova is the 11th woman in history to be added to the FBI ten most wanted fugitive list. Dr Ignatova launched OneCoin in 2014 with Sebastian Greenwood, who is currently in prison awaiting trial. The catch with OneCon was that there was no blockchain, a piece of information which keeps a record of transactions made by cryptocurrencies. This meant the coin had no value.
Adelaide’s SkyCity casino faces independent review as casino industry probe widens – 1 July 2022
South Australian authorities have launched an independent review of Adelaide’s SkyCity casino, in light of similar inquiries into casinos interstate. AUSTRAC’s has had concerns with ”ongoing customer due diligence” and adopting, maintaining, and complying with an anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism financing program.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-01/sa-independent-review-into-adelaide-skycity-casino/101202426
Australia to review carbon offsets following ‘fraud’ allegations – 1 July 2022
Australia’s new Labor government has appointed a top scientist to lead a six-month review of the country’s carbon credits, following allegations of fraud e.g projects earning credits for growing trees that were already in place and getting credits for growing forests on land that cannot sustain forests.
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/australia-to-review-carbon-offsets-following-fraud-allegations
Jail a possibility for Guy Sebastian’s former manager, as singer says guilty verdict is ‘a lot to absorb’ – 1 July 2022
Guy Sebastian’s former manager Titus Day has avoided jail, for now, as he awaits to be sentenced for embezzling more than $600,000 from the singer. The 49-year-old will be sentenced on September 16.
