Ballarat Grammar launches third investigation into boys’ boarding houses – 23 June 2025
Ballarat Grammer (BGS) has launched its third investigation in five months into allegations of “serious misconduct” in its boys’ boarding houses. In a letter to parents today, the school said over the past fortnight new information had “come to light”, and it would now begin an investigation. BGS said through investigations it had become clear that a “broader cultural shift was also needed”.
Aussie loses $320,000 to chilling threat and extortion scam – 23 June 2025
A 30-year-old was initially told her credit card had been used in an attempt to buy drugs online and she would be transferred to the police to make a report. The scammers, posing as Chinese police, then accused her of being part of a criminal syndicate responsible for a large scale money laundering operation. To avoid jail, she had to agree to be under 24/7 surveillance and not tell anyone about her situation. She has been left traumatised after being kept under surveillance for two months and ultimately losing her lifesavings.
Year in review: international investigations in Australia – 23 June 2025
Article summarises key legislative changes over the past year in relation to corporate misconduct.
https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=9edce233-0371-4135-9bc8-e7ec655bdd16
ASIC cautions licensees on share fraud – 24 June 2025
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has issued updated guidance for Australian financial services (AFS) licensees following an increase in reports of stolen shares due to identity theft. The new guidance, Information Sheet 237 Protecting against share sale fraud (INFO 237), outlines better practices for licensee prevention and detection of share sale fraud.
https://smsmagazine.com.au/news/2025/06/24/asic-cautions-licensees-on-share-fraud/
Workplace surveillance could be changing – what do employers need to know? – 24 June 2025
Workplace surveillance is becoming more sophisticated and widespread, but the laws that govern it haven’t kept pace. From AI monitoring tools to wearable trackers and biometrics, new technologies are being deployed in workplaces across many industries, yet there is little regulation on how and when employers can use them.
Police’s new weapon to crack open cold cases – 24 June 2025
NSW Police are using ground breaking technology to solve crimes. More than 145,000 unsolved cases, from break and enters, to some of the state’s longest standing, most baffling unsolved murders, could soon be solved now that police officers can match prints from the phalange area of the hand – the part between the tip and the palm.
Fraud victims among top crypto ATM users, Australian regulator say – 25 June 2025
AUSTRAC has identified 90 top crypto ATM users in Australia as scam victims, money mules, or suspects in a nationwide crackdown on crypto-related crime. Most flagged transactions involved victims, including a woman in her 70s who lost over A$430,000. Regulatory scrutiny of crypto ATMs and exchanges is intensifying.
Sophisticated scams rise in the dark side of AI’s explosion – 25 June 2025
The Australian Signals Directorate, the government agency overseeing the nation’s cybersecurity, warns that AI presents risks such as malicious actors using AI tools to expand their activities, including using generative AI to produce low-effort, high-quality material for phishing attacks. Automated tools such as “Fraud GPT” can scrape sites where software developers store, manage and collaborate on computer code for weaknesses. They can also automatically generate small payloads of malware for use in a cyberattack.
Council refers fraud investigation to police – 25 June 2025
An investigation into potential fraud at a council has been referred to the police. In April, Newcastle City Council began investigating possible fraudulent activity within the council’s transport department. The local authority confirmed that the “financial irregularities” are understood to relate to potential over claiming involving an unconfirmed number of employees.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/council-refers-fraud-investigation-police-114735920.html
Privacy resilience: Why compliance alone won’t cut it in 2025 – 26 June 2025
Privacy is everyone’s Business – it is not just the job of privacy professionals or IT departments. It’s a shared responsibility across all sectors of society. This means privacy can no longer be viewed as an isolated function. It must be embedded into every part of the organisation, from boardroom strategy to day-to-day decision-making. Paper explains that it requires aligned governance, risk awareness, training and, most importantly, culture.
https://securitybrief.com.au/story/privacy-resilience-why-compliance-alone-won-t-cut-it-in-2025
Corruption and Crime Commission to probe how Floreat gunman Mark Bombara legally owned firearms – 25 June 2025
WA’s corruption watchdog is investigating police failings that allowed Mark Bombara to legally own firearms used in a double murder-suicide. The agency claims Bombara’s collector’s handgun licence, renewed in 2009, should not have been approved, and police missed opportunities to revoke it.
New firearm legislation is being introduced in WA to prevent similar cases, tightening rules around firearm ownership and licence eligibility.
Convicted drug dealer had same private ATMs as used in illegal tobacco shops – 27 June 2025
Peter Wellman James was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2022 for supplying a commercial quantity of cannabis. Despite having a drug conviction, James had been able to own and operate a business called atm2go Darwin using private ATMs. The machines provided not just a cover for cash possession, but offered an opportunity for money laundering, with evidence given in court that cash from the drug dealing was to be loaded into the ATMs. Customers can unwittingly withdraw that dirty cash from the ATM and the cash that started out as proceeds of crime, now appears as legitimate funds in the ATM owner’s bank account.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06-27/darwin-drug-dealer-atm-illegal-tobacco/105459052
