13 stories this week:
Harmful or Harmless? What We Know About Electronic Partner Surveillance – 20 October 2023
Electronic partner surveillance means using technology to monitor a romantic partner’s activities. Partner surveillance is often considered an expression of jealousy, insecurity, and distrust. Yet many partners engage in surveillance for practical or caring motivations. Article explains that Electronic surveillance should only be used in ways that respect both partner’s autonomy and privacy.
Man pleads guilty to fraud after using stolen money to lure international cricket players to Australia – 20 October 2023
Navishta Desilva, has reportedly defrauded his employer of nearly AUD 250,000. He stole money to bankroll a suburban cricket competition featuring some of the sport’s biggest names and could face jail. He has pleaded guilty to obtaining financial advantage by deception in a bid to put on T20 cricket tournaments featuring high-profile international players.
Google feature Dark Web can reveal which of your personal details have been exposed online. Here’s how to use it – 20 October 2023
Google has introduced a feature which can pin-point which of your personal information has been leaked to the dark web. The special feature used to only be available to Google One subscribers for a fee, but is now accessible to Gmail account holders and Android phone users. This article explains.
Seven people charged over international money laundering and drug rin – 21 October 2023
Seven people have been charged over an alleged international money laundering and drug ring operating out of New South Wales. A 37-year-old man in Vietnam was allegedly found to be converting large sums of money to cryptocurrency for allegedly organising drugs supply in NSW.
Little Athletics Tasmania president stole fundraising money and rigged Thermomix raffle, court hears – 24 October 2023
A former president of Little Athletics Tasmania has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $10,000 from its fundraising account. In February 2019, Rhonda Ruth O’Sign was queried over several transactions and admitted she had used the account inappropriately. She resigned and reported to police.
Former Victorian MP Russell Northe sentenced to jail for misconduct while in public office – 25 October 2023
Former Victorian MP Russell Northe has been jailed for using more than $170,000 of public money to gamble on sports betting apps. Northe was charged with 45 offences in 2022 after an investigation by IBAC.
Fraud Unit charge man following investigation into fraudulent finance applications worth over $2m – 25 October 2023
Fraud Unit detectives have charged a man and executed four search warrants as part of an investigation into allegedly fraudulent finance and loan applications under Strike Force Onsite. It is alleged that the syndicate applied for fraudulent finance applications to at least three companies to the value of $2,147,535.00.
Scam recruiters dupe vulnerable jobseekers out of $20m – 25 October 2023
Scammers posting fake job offers and impersonating recruiters duped jobseekers out of $20 million this year, an “alarming” 740 per cent increase on last year, the government says. The scammers target vulnerable groups such as students looking for part-time work, people seeking side jobs and those from different cultural or linguistic backgrounds.
Corruption claims – 26 October 2023
Allegations of corruption and forgery were aired at the civil trial over allegations of unfair dismissal by NAAJA’s former CEO Priscilla Atkins. Ms Atkins has alleged she was dismissed after raising complaints of corruption against Ms Rosas and NAAJA’s chief financial officer Madhur Evans. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-23/nt-former-naaja-priscilla-atkins-wongful-dismissal-trial/103009676
Cameron Blaine, who helped rescue Cleo Smith, focus of Corruption and Crime Commission misconduct probe – 26 October 2023
A Western Australia’s Corruption and Crime Commission report has found that a senior police detective who helped rescue Cleo Smith, leaked confidential police information about the little girl’s kidnapping to a young journalist he was seeing.
Melbourne man charged for helping launder tens of millions from cybercrime victims – 26 October 2023
The AFP has charged a Chinese national for allegedly using an Australian-based crime syndicate to help launder $100 million stolen from victims who invested in a global investment scam. The Melbourne man, 37, is the seventh person charged under Operation Wickham, a joint operation between the AFP and the United States Secret Service (USSS).
ASIC fails to prosecute a single builder suspected of insolvent trading, despite ‘devastating’ impact on home owners – 26 October 2023
The latest figures show three in four construction that folded in the 2021-22 financial year alone were suspected of insolvent trading, according to initial reports lodged by external administrators with ASIC. Despite the figures, an ASIC spokesperson admitted no criminal or civil action had ever been taken against a builder or construction company director in Australia over the misconduct. A parliamentary inquiry is currently scrutinising whether ASIC is slow to act and failing to protect “ordinary Australians”
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried testifies without jury – 27 October 2023
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried has testified at his fraud trial outside the jury’s presence, that lawyers at his now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange were involved in key decisions at the heart of the case. Accused of stealing billions of dollars from unwitting customers, Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty to two counts of fraud and five counts of conspiracy. If convicted, he could face decades in prison.
