13 stories this week:
Australian regulators team up to combat digital assets scam sites – 25 July 2022
Two Australian market regulators-the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)-have partnered to combat digital assets scams. They have jointly deployed countermeasures services which automatically take down websites hosting phishing and other scams on a trial basis.
https://coingeek.com/australian-regulators-team-up-to-combat-digital-assets-scam-sites/
Artificial intelligence can monitor workplaces for safety breaches. Experts say privacy laws are laggin – 25 July 2022
The emergence of artificial intelligence that uses cameras to check for health and safety breaches in the workplace, has raised concerns about a creeping culture of workplace surveillance. Experts say Australian law is not up-to-date, to sufficiently regulate the rising use of AI in the workplace
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-25/ai-workplace-surveillance-tech-raises-concerns/101263028
Bond scammers impersonate Barrenjoey to lure investors – 25 July 2022
Investment bank Barrenjoey, is the latest big name financial institution, to find its brand is being used by imposters posing as representatives of real firms to scam victims seeking high-yield investments.
Access to digital version of AFR required to read article
Australian Corporate Conduct Regulator Releases Guidance On Greenwashing Risks – 25 July 2022
ASIC has released guidance to superannuation and managed funds as to how to avoid the risk of greenwashing when promoting sustainability-related products. e.g., funds and other financial products where investments are made based on environmental or social criteria, amongst other factors.
Urgent warning on supermarket scam spreading on social medi – 26 July 2022
Job seekers around Australia, are being urged to be wary of a new supermarket scam. Letters, which promise applicants a range of ALDI positions and salaries, appear to contain an official ALDI Australia letterhead and watermark and contain instructions which the applicant must follow as part of the recruitment process, which are suspected to enable fraudsters to gain money and or personal details from their victims.
Bunnings, Kmart stop using facial recognition – 26 July 2022
Australia’s creeping surveillance state: Big Brother is on the march
Kmart and Bunnings have temporarily halted their use of facial recognition in stores pending an investigation from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). Public backlash is said to “send a clear message to all retailers” that Australians don’t want invasive surveillance technology, as part of their shopping experience.
https://ia.acs.org.au/article/2022/bunnings–kmart-stop-using-facial-recognition.html
https://michaelwest.com.au/sleepwalkers-wake-australians-must-face-up-to-our-surveillance-state/
Former Darwin resident who defrauded former employers of nearly $90,000 sentenced to two years in prison – 26 July 2022
Kristy Gall, a Darwin resident has been sentenced to two years in prison after defrauding her former employers, Jakes Steel and Welding, for nearly $90,000 over a four-year period. She made 201 unauthorised transactions using a company credit card and paid herself recreational leave she wasn’t entitled to.
End prosecution of ATO whistleblower, Dreyfus urged – 26 July 2022
Legal groups and former senator Rex Patrick have renewed calls for Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus to stop the prosecution of Tax Office whistleblower Richard Boyle. Mr Boyle, spoke publicly in 2018 about aggressive practices by the ATO, including hardline use of so-called garnishee notices, used to claw back tax debts from individuals and business.
Access to digital version of AFR required to read article
Buy Now Pay Later: Risks And Fraud Prevention – 26 July 2022
The buy now, pay later method (BNPL) has started to gain popularity in recent years so fraudsters and cybercriminals have found a way to exploit it for their own gain. Article details the most common types of BNPL fraud and how to prevent it.
https://globeecho.com/business/buy-now-pay-later-risks-and-fraud-prevention/
Former Melbourne High School business manager pleads guilty to stealing more than $350,000 – 27 July 2022
A 65 year old woman will plead guilty to stealing more than $350,000 from one of Melbourne’s most prestigious schools. She is facing 17 charges dating back to 2012 for modifying invoices.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-27/melbourne-high-school-business-manager-theft/101274386
Australians lose $300 million to scams in first half of 2022 – 27 July 2022
Australians have lost $295 million to scams in the first half of 2022, according to newly released data from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) Scamwatch. Investment scams were the most financially damaging during the first half of 2022, causing more than $219 million in losses compared to $177 million lost throughout the entirety of 2021. This was followed by dating and romance scams which have cost Australians $16 million in the first half of 2022
https://itbrief.com.au/story/australians-lose-300-million-to-scams-in-first-half-of-2022
Married Hawaii couple charged with conspiring against US government after allegedly using names of dead children as fake identities – 28 July 2022
A married couple who allegedly lived for decades using the names of two dead children have been charged with identity theft and conspiring against the government. The pair have both been charged with conspiracy to commit an offence against the US, false statement in passport application and aggravated identity theft.
The real reason behind hundreds of customers queueing outside a Bank of China in Sydney’s CBD as five institutions have their entire fortunes FROZEN amid fraud allegations – 28 July 2022
Dozens of people have flocked to the Bank of China in Sydney after the Communist government froze transactions at five banks over illegal practices. Chinese authorities confirmed Henan New Fortune, had illegally manipulated its banks into holding its customer’s money in an attempt to defraud investors. A three-month investigation uncovered the abuse, with the Chinese government promising to pay back their money.
