Scams and Fraud

Queensland Police allege they've uncovered a scheme where unsuspecting victims of identity theft were used to take the blame for hundreds of speeding offences. 

A former police officer thought she would have the edge in dealing with scammers. She was shocked when she found out she had fallen prey to a sophisticated bank fraud scheme.

A Canberra gambler hoping for "a big win" is convicted of fraud after stealing more than $70,000 from the Master Builders Association while working as an event organiser for the association.

The salesman promised to "make men huge" and send their "sex drive through the roof". Then he disappeared with their money.

Customers are confused by banks asking for their personal details over the phone or in emails as consumer protection advice warns against answering.

After a scammer took $1.6 million of her mother's money, Harriet Spring is calling for banks to do more to support victims like herself.

A huge online marketplace linked to Cambodia's ruling family is allegedly being used to sell equipment to and launder money for the online scam industry — with Australians among those in the crosshairs.

The Philippines has ordered an estimated 20,000 foreigners working in mostly Chinese-owned offshore gambling firms to leave the country within 60 days following a ban on the operations, which have been linked to human trafficking and scams.

Meta announces about 63,000 Instagram accounts in Nigeria have been taken down after attempting to engage in financial sextortion schemes mostly targeting at men. 

The man allegedly used Facebook Marketplace to sell fake gold bullion made from copper or gold-plated plastic, ACT police said.

A woman has faced court after she allegedly posed as a medical receptionist to obtain tramadol from more than 20 pharmacies in southern WA. 

Rohan Cosgriff didn't tell anyone about a sextortion scam he had fallen victim to before taking his own life. A Victorian coroner says education needs to focus on breaking down the shame and guilt that prevents help-seeking.

Bots designed to buy tickets en masse are behind a rise in ticket scalping. 

Over a seven-week trial, Chinese business tycoon Guo Wengui is accused of deceiving his followers to put money into bogus investments and using the money to preserve a luxurious lifestyle.

The communications watchdog found Telstra failed to authenticate customer IDs during 168,000 high-risk interactions such as password resets or SIM card swaps. 

Lily and her real estate agent are among a growing number of Australians who have been targeted by cyber criminals.

Independent Mount Gambier MP Troy Bell is standing trial in the District Court after pleading not guilty to 20 counts of theft and six counts of dishonest dealing with documents.

If you've got a phone, it's likely you've been on the receiving end of more than a few scam text messages or calls.

Andrew Cobby claims he suffers from untreatable migraines after an alleged assault behind bars, as he contests fraud charges separate to his murder conviction.

Authorities say there has been a spike in the number of construction industry complaints where payment has been accepted but services not delivered.

A man accused of setting up a sham company used to steal $1.7 million from Australian scam victims has admitted in court to deleting crucial messages.

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.

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.

Scammers posing as investment experts are grooming victims over the phone for weeks to gain their trust, before stealing their money.

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.