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Scams and Fraud

'No red flags, completely believable': Desperate farmers taken in by Facebook hay scam

Desperate to feed hungry animals, these Tasmanian farmers spent thousands of dollars on hay that never arrived. Now, they want to protect other vulnerable people from doing the same.
Composite image Tasmanian farmers caught by hay scam.

Major bank raises alarm bell on cyber 'warfare', claims 'entire community is at risk'

With banks under near-constant attack from malicious actors trying to access everything from money to personal information, Australia's major banks are ramping up cyber security and urging customers to be more educated about scams.
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A composite image showing the logos of ANZ, NAB, CBA and Westpac banks.

Robert spent weeks on the phone talking to a 'financial advisor' in a scam that cost him thousands

Scammers posing as investment experts are grooming victims over the phone for weeks to gain their trust, before stealing their money.
Two old man's hands resting on a computer.

Sick of getting scam texts? A new registry could help differentiate legitimate texts from scams

A new registry could make it mandatory for texts to disclose a sender ID in the latest crackdown by the government on SMS text scammers.
Hands hold a mobile phone displaying a scam text message

Spike in scams targeting remote communities ahead of tax time

Financial counsellors and community leaders warn residents in remote communities in Western Australia to remain vigilant of a rise in scams ahead of tax time. 
A woman holds up a hand-painted sign saying Stop giving details.

Here's what the US State Department thinks of Cambodia's efforts to eliminate human trafficking for online scams

A new US State Department report highlights alleged Cambodian government "corruption and official complicity" in human trafficking for the online scam industry just days after a high-level Cambodian delegation visited Australia to learn about how to "fight against technological crime".
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A large number of men sit on the floor of a hotel foyer around a pile of shoes with police officers stand in nearby.

'Worked 40 years for nothing': Scammers tricked Lee's super fund and stole 180k

Lee fought the financial ombudsman all the way to the federal court when scammers stole his super. Despite winning he only got some money back and after legal fees he's worse off.
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Scam victim Lee Braz on motorbike.

'I can't trust anything anymore': Woman loses 95-year-old mum's $1.6m life savings to scammers

It all started with a phone call from a well-spoken man who claimed he worked for a well-known bank. Now, Harriet has lost the proceeds from the sale of her widowed mother's home. 
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a woman wearing a pink jumper sits at the kitchen table

Police to charge Melbourne man with fraud after 500 COVID isolation payment claims made during pandemic

A 41-year-old man from Melbourne's west has been arrested as part of an investigation into more than 500 allegedly fraudulent applications for COVID-19 payments during the pandemic. 
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Rows of Australian hundred dollar bills.

Woman defrauded container refund scheme the cash equivalent of almost 1 million cans

Shannara Cindy Dyball, 26, defrauded a Queensland container refund company of about $95,500, under the noses of her bosses for almost a year, the District Court in Toowoomba has heard.
A woman leaves court

Thousands of people are being funnelled into a multi-level marketing scheme promising 'financial freedom', but there's a cost

Women in regional Australia are being funnelled into a multi-level marketing scheme promising a "multiple-six-figure business online" — but the "freedom" they seek comes at a cost.
Kylie dancing with a graphic saying 'how much money my online business made in a week'.

'Charismatic and persuasive' South Australian MP allegedly stole funds to pay for home renovations

Troy Stephen Bell stands trial accused of using his position of power to "syphon" money meant for a program to keep "at-risk" youth who had disengaged from mainstream education in training programs.
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Troy Bell walks outside a court building holding a note pad.

Coles and Telstra are being impersonated by scammers. Here's how to spot a phishing scam

Scammers are using loyalty point programs as the latest way to try to trick you. To keep you safe, here are the common signs to watch out for. 
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A screenshot of a Coles loyalty points scam text message that asks customers to click on the link to redeem their points

How do scammers use data breaches to target you?

Even if a data breach doesn't end with someone using your credit card details, that doesn't mean you're in the clear.
A woman's left hand strikes lettered keys on a computer keyboard with fingers that have painted fingernails.

'Documents altered, records falsified, computers hacked' as small town office manager charged with alleged $2.5m fraud

Properties in Brisbane and far north Queensland have been searched following 120 charges of alleged financial misconduct spanning six years.
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Street view with houses and tropical plants

Former ANZ teller jailed over 'despicable' $56k theft from pensioner

Mary Mercedes Lea'aeto forged the woman's signature on withdrawal forms multiple times over a nine-month period in what prosecutors labelled a "calculated" crime.
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A young woman faces the camera in traditional cream and red Maori dress

Identity fraud victim fears for his safety after hit-run committed in car hired under his name

Melbourne man Ilker has been dealing with fraudulent traffic offences, public transport fines and financial crime for three years, since his licence details were stolen.
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A man in an anorak takes a selfie

This man told his wife he was printing pornography. What he was doing was much more sinister

Robert Baudin printed around $2 million in fake US notes. When he (eventually) faced court, he took to the air and threatened to crash into Sydney Harbour.
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A 1970s TV still of an older, balding man with a moustache and wiry eyebrows

Inside a secret scam factory where workers pretend to be glamorous models

In the Dubai desert lies a scam factory capable of swindling tens of thousands of people at a time. But one scammer has a secret plan that could shut the whole syndicate down. 
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Model pic sent to scam victims

Inside the Big Hole and one of Australia's 'most elaborate' scams

An early 20th century scam involved a promise of diamonds and gold, faux investors, fake letters and a quirky typewriter – all centred on what locals call a "bloody big hole".
'A bloody big hole' in the ground

Scammers find exploit in myki cards allowing them to steal funds from Victorian commuters

Public Transport Victoria has confirmed a small number of people with unregistered myki cards have had funds stolen from their accounts.
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Generic myki card

We watched as an Australian got scammed. Trying to warn them was harder than you think

"Scam-baiter" Jim Browning takes Background Briefing inside the world of cybercrime and exposes the tactics used to con Australians out of nearly $3 billion a year.
Gina on scam baiting zoom

'It's been hell': Family relieved as man jailed for stealing girlfriend's superannuation hours after sudden death

Kim Heptinstall died after surgery in 2019, and in the hours afterwards Travis Paul Barnard changed the beneficiary of her superannuation to himself, gaining access to more than $300,000. 
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A man named Travis Barnard stands leaning against a wall in black pants and a brown shirt, typing on his mobile phone.

Man accused of defrauding couple who lost home in NSW tornado faces court

A man who has pleaded not guilty to dozens of charges denies he told storm victims he held a builder's licence. 
A tornado

'Want my money back': Australians caught in tiny homes 'rip-off' demand action

These tiny homes were sold to Australians as part of a solution to the nation's housing crisis. The company involved took the money for them but never delivered.
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A designed artist's graphic of a man and a kit home.