Two Victorian police officers named over role in illegal Tony Mokbel investigation – 15 April 2025
Two now-retired Victorian Police officers who took part in a ‘joint criminal enterprise’ to put Tony Mokbel behind bars have been named.
Jim O’Brien and Dale Flynn, members of the anti-gangland Purana Taskforce, had previously argued their identities should be suppressed indefinitely.
Mokbel and several media outlets fought the suppression application.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-15/lawyer-x-tony-mokbel-court-nicola-gobbo/105180602
Court documents reveal explosive phone taps during ousting of Logan City Council bureaucrat – 16 April 2025
Alleged expletive-laden conversations between former Logan City Council mayor Luke Smith and political powerbrokers have been detailed through court documents, resulting in Luke Smith ultimately being convicted of receiving secret commissions from a developer.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-16/secret-phone-taps-logan-city-council-former-mayor/105146810
‘Beyond opportunistic’: Judge details former adviser’s $4.4m theft – 16 April 2025
Individuals lent as much as $1.1 million to former financial adviser, Anthony Del Vecchio, which was then used to fuel his gambling habit and only learnt of the fraud when they contacted his employer. Del Vecchio pleaded guilty in the County Court of Victoria to 24 charges of obtaining financial advantage by deception.
The Blueprint for Australia’s Anti-Scam Strategy – 16 April 2025
Australia has slashed citizens’ scam losses by close to 30% over two years by shifting from a consumer-blame model to a coordinated national response. Led by the government, the strategy brought together regulators, industries and internet platforms to cut off scam vectors and stop money from flowing to international criminal networks.
https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/blueprint-for-australias-anti-scam-strategy-a-28011
Questions raised over online gambling regulators – 16 April 2025
Online gambling is worth billions of dollars in Australia and now fresh questions are now being raised over the people charged with keeping the bookies honest. Of the six people who regulate the industry, the ABC has identified several who have links to the gambling industry and one who have even accepted gifts.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-16/naus_gamblingregulationtwt_1604/105183102
StrongRoom AI boss denies investor claim he admitted to fraud – 17 April 2025
The pharmacy software developer, StrongRoom AI is in the midst of a complicated dispute with its biggest investor, Sydney-headquartered venture capital firm EVP, which is attempting to claw back more than $10 million it invested earlier this year. EVP has accused StrongRoom of misrepresenting its financial position by claiming government grants, loans and share payments as revenue.
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A fugitive Indian jeweler accused of a $1.8bn bank fraud has been arrested in Belgium – 17 April 2025
Fugitive Indian jeweler Mehul Choksi, who has been accused of involvement in one of India’s biggest bank frauds, has been arrested in Belgium. Choksi and his diamond tycoon nephew Nirav Modi are accused of a $1.8 billion fraud involving Punjab National Bank.
The history behind controversial laws of sacrilege and blasphemy in Australia – 18 April 2025
Police were called after CCTV showed a man entering a church at 3.30am. The officers apprehended a 25-year-old, who was allegedly found in possession of scripture books belonging to the church. What happened next surprised many and made national news. The man was charged with sacrilege, a little-known and rarely employed law relating to an offence committed in a “place of divine worship”.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-18/controversial-law-sacrilege-blasphemy-australia/105116860
As scammers latch on to artificial intelligence, Microsoft says it blocks 1.6 million bots every hou – 19 April 2025
Artificial intelligence has made it “easier and cheaper” for scammers to generate believable content for attacks, according to Microsoft’s latest Cyber Signals report. The report noted Microsoft had thwarted about $6.28 billion in fraud attempts in the 12 months from April 2024.
How fake job ads are scamming Australians out of money—and their identitie – 21 April 2025
Fake job ads, often labelled as “employment scams,” are increasingly targeting Australians who are looking for flexible, remote or part-time work. The scams lure in victims with promises of quick cash for simple online tasks like liking posts, reviewing products or entering data. Once contact is made, victims are asked to pay fees for training, registration, or equipment. Others are tricked into sharing sensitive information such as tax file numbers, bank account details or even passport details.
The Agent inside – 21 April 2025
One year after the Wakeley church stabbing shocked Australia, a former secret agent who infiltrated the country’s jihadist underworld unmasks himself. In an extraordinary Four Corners exclusive, the former ASIO agent reveals to investigative reporter Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop how a resurgent Islamic State (IS) network is radicalising Australian teens and plotting violence.
He exposes the network’s links to a global web of terrorist leaders.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-21/the-agent-inside/105198860
Vets exposing shocking animal welfare breaches at Australian export abattoirs face ‘enormous risk’ – 22 April 2025
Lawyers and animal welfare advocates have urged the government to protect veterinarian whistleblowers who revealed shocking animal welfare breaches and oversight failures at Australia’s export abattoirs. speaking out about wrongdoing could carry “enormous risk” and that reforms were needed to improve protections and establish an independent body to guide and advise whistleblowers.
‘You don’t expect your own children to do this’: Ray’s shocking tale of elder abuse and the son who stole $230,000 – 23 April 2025
Ray Baird is speaking out for the first time about being the victim of elder abuse. His son Peter stole more than $230,000 from him. Experts want to see protections against elder fraud built into Centrelink, which sent Ray’s pension to a bank account in Peter’s name for years, without Ray knowing that Peter had changed the account details through his access to Ray’s MyGov.
Shire of Coolgardie chief executive James Trail quits amid months-long suspension – 23 April 2025
The long-serving chief executive of a West Australian council has resigned amid an ongoing workplace investigation. His exit comes amid scrutiny of the shire’s financial sustainability and ratepayer protests against the administration.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-23/coolgardie-ceo-james-traill-resigns-investigation/105206326
