Australia! scamms, scammer, anti-scam, SIM box fraud, enter inclosed land not prescribed without law excuse, money-laundering, larceny, burglary, theft, arson, arsonists 2024

Police are investigating a number of offences that have occurred around the Dakabin rail corridor since November 26.

Vehicles parked along Thompson Road, south of the train station and in the southern carpark of the Bob Brock Park have been targeted during daylight hours.

Offences include wilful damage, theft from vehicles, burglary and stealing of motor vehicle.

Burglaries have also been reported at Aster Street, Leigh Crescent and Braxlaw Crescent at Dakabin.

A burglary offence occurred at the Braxlaw Crescent address on December 3.

At about 1.45am, the residence was entered through the garage.

Keys have been stolen and used to steal two vehicles from the driveway.

The attempted theft of another vehicle in the same street occurred earlier that night.

One of the stolen vehicles was later recovered at 1.30pm at the corner of Hume Road and Pumicestone Road, Toorbul.

The second was located at 7.35pm on December 4 at a Young Road, Petrie address.

Between 8pm on December 4 and 4.30am on December 6, a vehicle was unlawfully entered at a residence on Whitehorse Road at Dakabin.

A wallet containing cash was stolen from the vehicle which was unlocked at the time.

The passengers side window was smashed to gain entry to a vehicle parked on Thompson Road at Dakabin on December 4.

Documents and a small amount of cash was stolen.

The offence occurred between 7am and 10.15am.

Between 10pm and 10.45pm on December 14, toolboxes on a vehicle parked in Surround Street, Dakabin were broken into and property stolen.

Locks were forced open on the tool boxes to gain entry.

City of Moreton Bay Council have placed a camera and messaging boards in the area warning motorists and residents to be vigilant.

Ensure your homes and vehicles are locked and remove your valuable from your vehicle.

Report suspicious activity and watch out for your neighbours if they are away during the holidays.

Copper theft costing WA millions as criminals steal estimated 15,000m of cabling in Perth

In short:
Thieves have stolen an estimated 15,000 metres of cabling from light poles on a principal shared path in Mirrabooka.
Main Roads WA estimates it spends $2-$3 million a year replacing stolen cabling and says theft is increasing.
What’s next?
The department has taken various measures to try and prevent theft but says the criminals “just seem to be one step ahead of us”.

Thieves have stolen an estimated 15,000 metres of cabling from light-poles along a path in the Perth suburb of Mirrabooka.

Main Roads says the theft of cables, valuable for the copper inside, is an ongoing problem that costs millions of dollars per year to remediate.

Acting director of metropolitan operations James Pinnington said the latest hit had taken out a 1.8-kilometre stretch of lighting for a principal shared path in Mirrabooka.

“At the moment our crews have gone out and made [the area] safe … and they’re just in the process of trying to quantify how much cable’s been stolen and then looking at a plan to try and remediate the damage,” Mr Pinnington told Nadia Mitsopoulos on ABC Radio Perth.

He said the thieves had left significant damage in their wake.

“There’s bits of cable sort of being cut and stripped and left lying around and it’s quite a time-consuming process to go across all of the different pits, where our cables come in and out of, to try and determine what has been damaged and what needs to be replaced,” Mr Pinnington said.

He said it was an ongoing problem across the Main Roads network.

“We’re probably looking at around 800,000 metres of cable stolen over the last five or six years and that’s having a widespread impact across the network, in terms of lighting being out,” he said.

“Obviously the cost to replace is really starting to rack up as well.

“At the moment, probably $2 million to $3 million a year worth of cable replacement is required.

“It’s hard to really quantify, because at the moment the amount of cable being stolen year on year is increasing.”

‘Hitting some brick walls’
Mr Pinnington said the cable at the Mirrabooka path would be replaced, but thieves often took the opportunity to revisit sites and steal the replacement cabling.

“We’re in the process of trialling a number of different methods to prevent the cable being re-stolen,” he said.

“At the moment we’re really hitting some brick walls with that.

“We make some changes and, unfortunately, these thieves are well-motivated and well-prepared and they’re figuring out ways to get around what we’re doing in terms of reducing that risk.”

Mr Pinnington said copper thieves often targeted locations hard to see from the roadway, came prepared and sometimes wore clothing that suggested they were legitimate maintenance workers.

Lockable lids for the pits have not been successful at keeping cabling secure.

Main Roads has been talking with WA Police about the thefts, but said theft was hard to prevent because there were so many power poles across the network.

“It’s very hard to be everywhere all at once and I guess the people that are doing this just seem to be one step ahead of us at the moment,” Mr Pinnington said.

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铜线盗窃案造成西澳数百万美元损失，犯罪分子窃取了珀斯约 15,000 米的电缆

主要道路部门表示，电缆盗窃（其中的铜非常有价值）是一个持续存在的问题，每年需要花费数百万美元来补救。

窃贼行窃后留下了严重损失。
“电缆被切断、剥去外皮后散落在各处，我们需要走遍所有不同的电缆进出坑道，才能确定哪些部分受损了，哪些部分需要更换，这是一个相当耗时的过程，”

米拉布卡路径的电缆将被更换，但窃贼经常借机重返现场并偷走更换的电缆。

“我们正在试验多种方法来防止电缆再次被盗。”
“我们做出了一些改变，但不幸的是，这些窃贼动机强烈、准备充分，他们正在想方设法绕过我们为降低风险所采取的措施。”

Chinese national living unlawfully in Australia denied bail over phishing scam involving millions of fraudulent texts

In short:
Jiahui Liu has been refused bail over his alleged involvement in a major phishing scam in which 4.9 million fake texts were sent to Australian phones.
The Chinese national was living in Australia on an expired visa and denied knowing he was part of a scam.
What’s next?
The case will return to court in October.

A Chinese national charged over an elaborate phishing scam involving millions of fraudulent text messages had been living in Australia unlawfully and trying to avoid detection, a court has heard.

Jiahui Liu, 30, was arrested by cybercrime detectives on Tuesday after police executed a search warrant at his share house in the Townsville suburb of Aitkenvale.

Police allege he used a SIM box device to send 4.9 million text messages purporting to be from Centrelink, Medicare, Australia Post, Commonwealth Bank, Transurban, and Linkt.

Victims were allegedly directed to websites in an attempt to steal their money and personal information.

Mr Liu was refused bail in the Townsville Magistrates Court on Friday after a Mandarin interpreter was brought in to assist proceedings.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Tim Madsen said the alleged offending was serious.

“It’s clearly used to facilitate either a criminal organisation or individuals in order to defraud members of the community in Australia,” Sergeant Madsen said.

Defendant denied knowledge of the scam

Mr Liu is facing one charge of possessing equipment for the purpose of obtaining identity information.

Police allege they located 1,265 SIM cards in the defendant’s bedroom and a SIM box capable of sending mass messages.

Acting Magistrate Kerri Fredericks said when interviewed Mr Liu told police he had found out about a “part-time job” on Chinese social media app WeChat.

“He told police he was initially sent the SIM box and 100 to 200 SIM cards in the mail,” Magistrate Fredericks said.

“He was told to hook it up to a computer and someone else had remote access to set it up.

“After this, he then sent photos of the SIM cards to someone known as the ‘Big C’ so they could be activated.”

The court heard Mr Liu would change the SIM cards each night and was paid in Chinese yuan for every night he operated the SIM box.

“He denied knowing they were scams and believed the messages were advertising,” Magistrate Fredericks said.

“He wasn’t suspicious about this work.”

Avoiding detection

The court was told Mr Liu arrived in Perth in December 2019 on a working holiday visa.

He moved to Townsville in March and police allege he took steps to avoid his whereabouts being known to authorities.

That included having a phone service registered in another name, directing his mail to a massage parlour, failing to update his details with government agencies, and living in a share house with no utilities recorded under his name.

The court heard his latest visa expired in August and he had been living unlawfully in Australia.

Legal Aid lawyer Carly Hoyer said Mr Liu had been unable to contact his family in China since his arrest on Tuesday.

“This has been a very distressing time for him,” Ms Hoyer said.

She said her client wanted to resolve the matter as quickly as possible so he could return home.

‘Unacceptable risk’

Mr Liu’s passport was seized after his arrest, which Ms Hoyer argued mitigated the risk associated with granting her client bail.

The court heard that if the defendant was released from custody, he would be taken to an immigration detention facility.

Magistrate Fredericks rejected the bail application.

“I am satisfied there is an unacceptable risk that if released, he may fail to appear or surrender into custody or an unacceptable risk he may commit a further offence,” she said.

Mr Liu was remanded in custody and the case will return to court in October.

—

非法居澳中國男子涉嫌網絡詐騙被起訴

日前，一名非法居住在澳洲的中國男性公民因涉嫌發送欺詐短信進行網絡詐騙而遭到警方逮捕，他被拒絕保釋。

據澳大利亞廣播公司（ABC）報導，該犯罪嫌疑人叫劉家輝（Jiahui Liu，音譯），現年30嵗，被捕前住在湯斯維爾（Townsville）艾特肯維爾（Aitkenvale）郊區的一棟合租房屋。9月24日，昆州警方對該房產執行搜查令後，劉家輝隨即遭到逮捕。

警方稱，劉家輝使用SIM卡盒設備（向澳洲人）發送了490萬條詐騙短信，據稱這些短信假裝來自Centrelink、Medicare、澳大利亞郵政、聯邦銀行、Transurban和Linkt。

據稱，受害者收到這些短信後被引導至詐騙網站，行騙者試圖竊取他們的金錢和個人信息。

9月27日，在一名普通話翻譯協助訴訟後，劉先生在湯斯維爾地方法院被拒絕保釋。

警方檢察官馬德森（Tim Madsen）警長表示，該嫌犯觸犯的罪行嚴重。他說：「（劉先生）顯然是為犯罪組織或個人提供便利，以詐騙澳大利亞社區成員。」

劉先生面臨一項為獲取身分信息而持有設備的指控。

警方稱，他們在被告的臥室內發現了1,265張SIM卡以及一個能夠發送群發信息的SIM卡盒。

代理法官弗雷德里克斯（Kerri Fredericks）表示，劉先生在接受警方詢問時稱，他在中國社交媒體——微信上發現了一份「兼職工作」。

弗雷德里克斯說：「劉先生最初通過郵件收到了SIM盒和100到200張SIM卡。他被告知將其連接到計算機上，而其他人則可以遠程訪問來設置它。此後，他將SIM卡的照片發送給一個被稱為『Big C』的人，以便激活它們。」

法庭獲悉，劉先生每晚都會更換SIM卡，並且他每晚操作SIM卡盒的費用都是人民幣。

弗雷德里克斯還稱：「他否認知道這些信息是騙局，並認為這些信息是廣告。他對這項工作並不懷疑。」

法庭獲悉，劉家輝於2019年12月持打工度假簽證抵達珀斯。

他於三月搬到湯斯維爾，警方稱他採取了一些措施避免當局知道他的行蹤，其中包括以他人名義註冊電話服務、將郵件寄往按摩院、未向政府機構更新詳細資料，以及住在沒有水電費記錄的合租房裡。

法庭獲悉，劉家輝的簽證已於八月到期，之後，他一直非法居住在澳大利亞。

劉先生被捕後，他的護照被沒收。

法庭獲悉，如果被告被保釋，他將被帶到移民拘留所。

弗雷德里克斯法官拒絕了劉先生的保釋申請。劉先生已被還押，此案將於十月重新開庭審理。

(Victoria Police Breaking news)
Seven teenagers charged following aggravated burglary across Melbourne’s North
Published: Monday 16 September 2024 at 2:40 am

Moorabbin Crime Investigation Unit detectives have charged seven people following an aggravated burglary in Williamstown earlier this week.

It is alleged the offenders attended a gym on Ripon Street in Elsternwick in a stolen Kia Carnival and stole a Mazda 3 before fleeing the scene in both cars about 11pm on 12 September.

The group then allegedly broke into a property on Hannan Street in Williamstown armed with weapons.

Once inside they allegedly stole cash, jewellery and a Mercedes GT.

Police later recovered the stolen Mazda 3 on Bank Street in South Melbourne and arrested four people at the scene about 3am.

A 15-year-old Brighton girl was charged with burglary, aggravated burglary and three counts of theft of motor vehicle.

She has been remanded to a children’s court at a later date.

A 14-year-old Wheelers Hill boy, a 15-year-old Leongatha boy and a 15-year-old Cowes boy were charged with burglary, aggravated burglary and three counts of theft of motor vehicle.

All three were bailed to appear at a children’s court at a later date.

On 13 September, officers recovered the Kia Carnival on Dover Street in Williamstown.

A day later, detectives allegedly located three people at a property in Burwood East and recovered the Mercedes GT from an underground carpark.

A 15-year-old Pakenham girl and a 15-year-old Traralgon boy were charged with theft of motor vehicle.

Both were bailed to appear at a children’s court at a later date.

A 14-year-old Hampton Park boy was also charged with burglary, aggravated burglary and three counts of theft of motor vehicle.

He has been remanded to appear at a children’s court at a later date.

Caitlin Knight

Media Unit

130657

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(维多利亚警察局 新闻发布)
墨尔本北部发生严重入室盗窃案，七名青少年被指控
已发布: 2024 年 9 月 16 日星期一凌晨 2:40

本周早些时候，威廉斯敦发生一起恶性入室盗窃案，穆拉宾犯罪调查组侦探已对 7 人提出指控。

据称，罪犯于 9 月 12 日晚上 11 点左右驾驶一辆偷来的起亚嘉年华前往埃尔斯特恩威克里彭街的一家健身房，并偷了一辆马自达 3，然后驾驶两辆车逃离现场。

据称，该团伙随后携带武器闯入威廉斯敦汉南街的一处房屋。

据称，进入屋内后，他们偷走了现金、珠宝和一辆奔驰 GT。

警方随后在南墨尔本银行街追回了被盗的马自达 3，并于凌晨 3 点左右在现场逮捕了 4 人。

一名 15 岁的布莱顿女孩被指控犯有入室盗窃、严重入室盗窃和三项机动车盗窃罪。

她稍后将被送往儿童法庭。

一名 14 岁的惠勒斯山男孩、一名 15 岁的利昂加塔男孩和一名 15 岁的考斯男孩被指控犯有入室盗窃、严重入室盗窃和三项机动车盗窃罪。

三人均已获保释，稍后将在儿童法庭出庭受审。

9 月 13 日，警察在威廉斯敦的多佛街追回了一辆起亚嘉年华。

一天后，侦探们据称在 Burwood East 的一处房产内找到了三人，并从地下停车场找到了那辆奔驰 GT。

一名 15 岁的帕肯汉姆女孩和一名 15 岁的特拉拉尔贡男孩被控盗窃机动车。

两人均已获得保释，稍后将在儿童法庭出庭受审。

一名 14 岁的汉普顿公园男孩还被指控犯有入室盗窃、严重入室盗窃和三项机动车盗窃罪。

他已被还押，稍后将前往儿童法庭出庭。

(The Australian Federal Police News Centre – Media release)
AFP warning over rise of sadistic sextortion online
06 September 2024, 7:11am

The AFP is warning parents and guardians over a concerning online trend emerging in Australia involving young victims who are being coerced into producing extreme sexual and violent content over the internet.

Sadistic sextortion is a rising online crime type that involves extreme online groups targeting children as young as twelve years old on social media and messaging platforms to coerce them to self-produce explicit material to gain acceptance into extreme online communities.

These online communities use different names and monikers to operate on social media or messaging platforms, and consist of members from all around the world. To gain access to a majority of these groups, prospective members are coerced by group members to produce or live-stream explicit content online.

In some cases, the offenders are the same age as the victims being targeted.

AFP intelligence has identified that sadistic sextortion offenders will initiate an online relationship with a victim on social media or messaging platform before encouraging them to produce an image or video performing an explicit sexual or violent act.

The offender will then share the content with other members in the online group, who will attempt to extort the victim by threatening to share the material with their family or friends, unless the victim produces more videos and extreme content.

The offender will relentlessly demand more content from victims that often continues to escalate in its seriousness including specific live sex acts, animal cruelty, serious self-harm, and live online suicide.

The Western Australia Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team (WA JACET) commenced an investigation into reports of an alleged serious sadistic sextortion offender in WA, 14, accused of targeting victims around the world in 2022.

Police seized the offender’s phone and later identified child abuse material (CAM) and videos of animal cruelty.

The offender was charged and received a juvenile caution in relation to the matter.

AFP Commander of Human Exploitation and the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) Helen Schneider said intelligence received by the ACCCE suggested most offenders in extreme online groups were not motivated by money, but were instead focused on obtaining status or notoriety within the group.

“Unlike sextortion, these offenders are not motivated by financial gain. Instead, they are driven by exploiting vulnerable victims into producing abhorrent content for their deranged amusement,” Commander Schneider said.

“Unfortunately, some victims in these groups, do not see themselves as victims. They do not believe they are being coerced into performing these extremely horrific acts and therefore are unlikely to report it to the authorities.

“Without information or assistance from victims and members of the public, it can be extremely difficult for police to identify offenders and shutdown these dangerous groups.”

Commander Schneider said the AFP urged parents and guardians to be aware of the warning signs of young people being groomed by coercive groups online.

‘If parents believe their child is engaging in harmful activity online, it’s important to have a conversation with them to understand the situation and provide appropriate support,” Commander Schneider said.

“Warning signs children may be engaging in harmful activity online may include increased screen-time on computers or phones, isolating themselves from friends and family or being secretive about who they are interacting with online.

“Whether a child is or has been a victim of sextortion online, please reassure them it’s not their fault and report it to the ACCCE.”

Note to media

Use of term ‘CHILD ABUSE’ MATERIAL not ‘CHILD PORNOGRAPHY’
The correct legal term is Child Abuse Material – the move to this wording was among amendments to Commonwealth legislation in 2019 to more accurately reflect the gravity of the crimes and the harm inflicted on victims.

Use of the phrase ‘child pornography’ is inaccurate and benefits child sex abusers because it:
indicates legitimacy and compliance on the part of the victim and therefore legality on the part of the abuser; and
conjures images of children posing in ‘provocative’ positions, rather than suffering horrific abuse.

Every photograph or video captures an actual situation where a child has been abused.

—

澳大利亚联邦警察(AFP)警告：网络虐待性勒索行为增多

AFP警告家长和监护人，澳大利亚出现一种令人担忧的网络趋势，年轻受害者被迫在互联网上制作极端色情和暴力内容。

虐待性性勒索是一种日益严重的网络犯罪类型，极端网络团体在社交媒体和通讯平台上针对年仅 12 岁的儿童，强迫他们自行制作露骨内容，以获得极端网络社区的认可。

这些在线社区使用不同的名称和昵称在社交媒体或消息平台上运营，成员来自世界各地。为了加入其中的大多数团体，潜在成员会被团体成员强迫在网上制作或直播露骨内容。

在某些情况下，犯罪者的年龄与受害者相同。

AFP情报发现，虐待狂性勒索罪犯会在社交媒体或通讯平台上与受害者建立在线关系，然后鼓励他们制作出实施露骨性行为或暴力行为的图片或视频。

然后，罪犯会与在线群组中的其他成员分享这些内容，这些成员会试图通过威胁与家人或朋友分享这些材料来勒索受害者，除非受害者制作更多的视频和极端内容。

犯罪者会不断向受害者索要更多内容，其严重性往往会不断升级，包括具体的现场性行为、虐待动物、严重自残和在线直播自杀。

西澳大利亚州联合反儿童剥削小组 (WA JACET) 已开始对西澳大利亚州一名涉嫌严重虐待性勒索罪犯的报道进行调查，该罪犯现年 14 岁，被指控于 2022 年针对世界各地的受害者实施犯罪。

警方没收了罪犯的手机，随后发现了虐待儿童的材料（CAM）和虐待动物的视频。

该罪犯已被指控，并因此事受到少年警告。

澳大利亚联邦警察人类剥削问题指挥官兼澳大利亚联邦警察领导的澳大利亚反儿童剥削中心 (ACCCE) 海伦施耐德表示，ACCCE 收到的情报表明，极端网络团体中的大多数罪犯并不是受金钱驱使，而是着眼于在团体中获得地位或名声。

“与性勒索不同，这些罪犯的动机并非经济利益。相反，他们利用脆弱的受害者来制作令人憎恶的内容，以满足他们疯狂的娱乐需求，”施奈德指挥官说。

“不幸的是，这些团体中的一些受害者并不认为自己是受害者。他们不认为自己是被胁迫实施这些极其恐怖的行为，因此不太可能向当局举报。

“如果没有受害者和公众的信息或帮助，警方将很难识别罪犯并取缔这些危险团体。”

施奈德表示，联邦警察敦促父母和监护人注意年轻人受到网上胁迫团体诱导的警告信号。

施奈德指挥官说：“如果父母认为他们的孩子在网上从事有害活动，那么与他们交谈以了解情况并提供适当的支持非常重要。”

“儿童可能正在从事有害的在线活动的警告信号包括增加使用电脑或手机的时间、孤立自己与朋友和家人或对自己在网上互动的人保密。

“无论孩子是否是或曾经是网络性勒索的受害者，请向他们保证这不是他们的错，并向 ACCCE 报告。”

致媒体
使用术语“虐待儿童”材料而不是“儿童色情”
正确的法律术语是“虐待儿童材料”——这一措辞是 2019 年联邦立法的修正案之一，旨在更准确地反映罪行的严重性和对受害者造成的伤害。
使用“儿童色情”这一短语是不准确的，并且会使儿童性虐待者受益，因为它：
表明受害者的合法性和顺从性，因此也表明施虐者的合法性；
让人联想到孩子们摆出“挑逗性”的姿势，而不是遭受可怕的虐待。

(NSW Police Force News)
Memorial plaques stolen from cemetery – Murwillumbah
Thursday, 29 August 2024 03:09:26 PM

An investigation is underway after 17 memorial plaques were stolen from a cemetery.

Police have been told between Wednesday 21 August 2024 and Monday 26 August 2024, the 17 plaques were stolen from headstones at a cemetery on Tree Street, Murwillumbah.

Police are investigating links to a similar incident last week, where between Monday 19 August and Tuesday 20 August 2024, more than 100 plaques were stolen from a cemetery on Kirkwood Road, Tweed Heads South.

All 102 plaques stolen from the Tweed Heads South cemetery were later discovered nearby, along with a crowbar and set of screwdrivers, which are undergoing forensic examination.

Tweed/Byron Police District Crime Manager, Acting Inspector Russell Ewing, said the thefts had hurt local families still grieving loved ones.

“Stealing from a cemetery is not only a deeply disrespectful act, but is also incredibly hurtful to the families and friends who have lost loved ones,” A/Insp Ewing said.

“These plaques represent the memories of those who have passed, and their theft is a callous violation of a sacred space.”

Anyone who has seen anything suspicious in the area, or who has any information about the location of the stolen plaques, is urged to contact Tweed/Byron Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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新南威尔士州警察消息
墓地纪念牌匾被盗 – Murwillumbah

17 块纪念牌匾从墓地被盗，目前案件正在调查中。

警方获悉，2024 年 8 月 21 日星期三至 2024 年 8 月 26 日星期一期间，位于 Murwillumbah 区 Tree Street 的一处墓地的墓碑上的 17 块墓碑被盗。

警方正在调查与上周类似事件的联系，2024 年 8 月 19 日星期一至 8 月 20 日星期二期间，特威德海兹南区柯克伍德路的一处墓地有 100 多块牌匾被盗。

后来，从特威德海兹南公墓被盗的全部 102 块墓碑都在附近被发现，同时发现的还有一根撬棍和一套螺丝刀，目前正在进行法医检验。

特威德/拜伦警区犯罪经理、代理督察拉塞尔·尤因 (Russell Ewing) 表示，这些盗窃案给当地家庭造成了巨大的伤害，他们至今仍在哀悼亲人。

“从墓地偷东西不仅是一种极其不尊重的行为，而且对失去亲人的家人和朋友也是一种极大的伤害，”督察 Ewing 说道。

“这些牌匾代表着已故者的回忆，偷窃它们是对神圣空间的无情侵犯。”

任何人若在该地区发现任何可疑情况，或掌握被盗牌匾位置的信息，请联系特威德/拜伦警察局或犯罪热线 1800 333 000。

(Victoria Police – Breaking News)
Wheelchair stolen in Wendouree
Published: Wednesday 28 August 2024 at 3:31 am

Ballarat Crime Investigation Unit detectives are investigating a burglary in Wendouree where a mobility scooter and wheelchair were stolen.

Investigators have been told a property on Marigold Street was broken into sometime between 23 August and 26 August.

Once inside the property the offenders have removed a Permobil M1 electric chair valued at $16,000 and a Pride mobility scooter valued at $8,000.

Investigators have released images of a wheelchair and scooter similar to the ones that were stolen.

Anyone with information about the burglary or footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

Media Unit
130087

—

温德里的轮椅被盗

巴拉瑞特犯罪调查组的侦探正在调查温杜里发生的一起入室盗窃案，一辆电动代步车和一辆轮椅被盗。

调查人员获悉，8 月 23 日至 8 月 26 日期间，玛丽戈尔德街 (Marigold Street) 的一处房产遭到入室盗窃。

进入房屋后，罪犯偷走了一辆价值 16,000 元的 Permobil M1 电椅和一辆价值 8,000 元的 Pride 电动代步车。

调查人员公布了与被盗车辆相似的轮椅和滑板车的图像。

(Victoria Police Press Release)
Power tools stolen during burglary in Lemnos

Shepparton Crime Investigation Unit detectives are investigating a burglary in Lemnos on Wednesday the 21st of August 2024.

It is understood two offenders entered a business premises on Lemnos North Road, Lemnos at about 12am.

The thieves stole power tools from inside the business worth around $15,000.

No one was inside the business at the time of the incident.

The offenders fled the scene in an unknown vehicle.

Investigators have released CCTV footage and images of two men they believe may be able to assist with their enquiries.

Anyone who witnessed the incident, with dashcam/CCTV footage or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

Leading Senior Constable Jody Clayton

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利姆诺斯岛发生入室盗窃案，电动工具被盗

谢珀顿犯罪调查组的侦探正在调查 2024 年 8 月 21 日星期三在利姆诺斯岛发生的一起入室盗窃案。

据了解，两名罪犯于凌晨 12 点左右进入了利姆诺斯岛利姆诺斯北路的一​​家商业场所。

窃贼从商店内偷走了价值约 15,000 美元的电动工具。

事发时，商店内没有人。

罪犯驾驶不明车辆逃离现场。

调查人员公布了闭路电视录像和两名男子的图像

(asic.gov.au) media release (24-180MR)
Online investment trading scams top ASIC’s website takedown action

As it marks the first-year anniversary of investment scam disruption, ASIC announced today the takedown of more than 7,300 phishing and investment scam websites that seek to swindle consumers out of their information.

Since July 2023, ASIC has coordinated the removal of over 5,530 fake investment platform scams, 1,065 phishing scam hyperlinks and 615 cryptocurrency investment scams.

Investment scams remain the leading type of scam impacting Australians, resulting in $1.3 billion in losses in 2023. ASIC reminds all consumers to remain vigilant to social media hyperlinks that promote online trading and cryptocurrency investments.

Today’s announcement follows ASIC’s warning about fake news articles and deepfake videos of public figures that endorse online investment trading platform scams, particularly on social media. Investment trading platform scams accounts for the largest component of ASIC’S website takedowns.

Scammers use digital platforms, including social media, to lure unsuspecting consumers, directing them to scam websites. Shutting down these websites disrupts the transmission of the scam and breaks the link between scammers and their potential targets.

Deputy Chair Sarah Court said: ‘Australians are still losing billions of dollars each year to scams. Scammers are criminals targeting the hip pockets of hard-working Australians – they don’t discriminate, and they use sophisticated techniques to steal information and money.

‘The scams landscape is rapidly evolving. Innovative technology developments may improve how we live and work, however they also provide new opportunities for scammers to exploit.

‘Every day an average of 20 investment scam websites are taken down. The quick removal of malicious websites is an important step to stop criminal scammers from causing further harm to Australians.

‘Scammers will continue to adapt and find new ways to lure consumers, and ASIC remains proactive in detecting and disrupting investment scams,’ Ms Court added.

ASIC regularly issues consumer warnings and conducts targeted surveillance to combat scams. Its close partnership with the National Anti-Scam Centre has included sharing data and intelligence and implementing disruption action as demonstrated by the recent investment scam fusion cell. ASIC is working with the National Anti-Scam Centre to make Australia a harder target for scammers.

Examples of investment scam websites taken down

Quantum AI: ASIC’s takedown disruption capability interrupted scammers who used celebrities and high-profile Australians to promote fake investment trading platforms, such as Quantum AI, claiming to use AI technology and quantum computing to generate high returns for investors. Fake celebrity endorsements, including from people such as Chris Hemsworth and Elon Musk, are used in these scams to entice consumers to enter into investments with low initial costs and unrealistic returns. View the investor alert listing and the consumer warning.

Cryptocurrency investment scam takedown – Dexa Trade Markets: ASIC received an investment scam report from an Australian consumer about falling for an online cryptocurrency investment scam that falsely claimed it was internationally regulated, had billions in trading volume and millions of investors. Take-down occurred an hour after ASIC referred the website to the takedown provider. Other potential investors were warned by ASIC issuing a warning through its investor alert list. View the investor alert listing.

—

在投资诈骗打击工作开展一周年之际，澳大利亚证券投资委员会 (ASIC) 今天宣布关闭 7,300 多个试图骗取消费者信息的网络钓鱼和投资诈骗网站。

自 2023 年 7 月以来，ASIC 已协调删除了 5,530 多个虚假投资平台骗局、1,065 个网络钓鱼骗局超链接和 615 个加密货币投资骗局。

投资诈骗仍然是影响澳大利亚人的主要诈骗类型，2023 年造成13 亿美元损失。 ASIC 提醒所有消费者对宣传在线交易和加密货币投资的社交媒体超链接保持警惕。

被关闭的投资诈骗网站示例

Quantum AI：ASIC 的拦截功能阻止了骗子利用名人和知名澳大利亚人来推广虚假投资交易平台（如 Quantum AI），声称使用人工智能技术和量子计算为投资者创造高回报。这些骗局使用虚假名人代言，包括克里斯·海姆斯沃斯和埃隆·马斯克等人的代言，以诱使消费者进行初始成本低、回报不切实际的投资。

加密货币投资骗局被取缔 – Dexa Trade Markets：澳大利亚证券投资委员会 (ASIC) 收到一名澳大利亚消费者的投资骗局报告，称其陷入了一场在线加密货币投资骗局，该骗局谎称其受到国际监管，交易量达数十亿美元，投资者达数百万。在澳大利亚证券投资委员会将该网站转交给取缔服务提供商一小时后，该网站被取缔。澳大利亚证券投资委员会通过其投资者警报列表向其他潜在投资者发出警告。

Police warn public about will or executor fraud – Illawarra

Police are warning the public to be aware of people who seek to defraud vulnerable members of the Illawarra community by forging will and estate documents.

Earlier in 2024, officers attached to Wollongong Police District received reports of allegedly forged will documents; with inquiries continuing.

Police would like to remind the public, particularly elderly members and their families, to take precautions to reduce the risk of will and executor fraud.

Will fraud can occur when misleading or deceptive conduct is used when preparing a will.

Executor fraud can occur when an executor – who is a person appointed to administer an estate – uses deceitful practices to gain estate assets for themselves or for someone who is not the rightful beneficiary.

There are a variety of ways fraudulent activity may occur during the preparation or execution of a will, including where false, fabricated or misleading statements are created or used to give a person who is not the rightful beneficiary a financial benefit.

Other examples of estate fraud include:
.a person signing a will that was a different document then they intended to sign,
.a person signing a will when they limited mental capacity, and
.an executor could pay themselves advances or unreasonable expenses from the estate.

If you believe you or a family member has been a victim of will or executor fraud, you can report it to local police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

—

新州警方警告说，一种新型诈骗手段正在针对老年人及其家庭，该诈骗行为涉及骗子伪造遗嘱和遗产文件行骗。

周五（8月16日），新州警方表示，Wollongong警区的警官2024年初接到涉及伪造遗嘱文件的诈骗报告，目前相关调查仍在进行中。警方称，诈骗者特别针对Illawarra地区的老年人及其家庭成员，并敦促人们要提高警觉，以降低遗嘱诈骗和遗嘱执行人诈骗的风险。

遗嘱诈骗通常发生在准备遗嘱过程中，涉及误导或欺骗行为；执行人诈骗则是指被指定负责管理遗产的人利用欺诈手段将遗产资产占为己有，或转移遗产给不具备合法权利的受益人。

警方表示，该类诈骗的形式多样，可能包括使用虚假、伪造或误导性的陈述，从而使不应该得到遗产的个人获得财务利益。此外，还有一些常见的遗产诈骗方式，如签署与意图不符的遗嘱文件，在老人精神状态受限的情况下签署遗嘱，执行人从遗产中支付自己预支款项或不合理的开支。

警方提醒说，保持警惕、核实文件和加强家庭内部的沟通是防范诈骗的有效措施。

警方还呼吁受影响的人士向当地警察局报告，或致电灭罪热线1800 333 000。

(State Government of Victoria Police)
Foreign nationals arrested after more than 20 alleged burglaries across Melbourne’s east

Detectives from Box Hill Divisional Response Unit have charged four foreign nationals from the United Kingdom and seized vehicles and cash following a series of alleged residential burglaries across Melbourne.

Police allege the four men entered Australia earlier this year, committing more than 20 burglaries across Melbourne between April and July.

During the incidents, police allege the group would use cleaning products to cover their tracks.

The group allegedly stole more than $500,000 worth of property including cash, designer jewellery, watches and handbags.

It’s alleged the men targeted homes in Burwood, Craigieburn, Doncaster, Epping, Forest Hill, Hillside, Hoppers Crossing, Mill Park, Mount Waverley, and Tarneit.

While the majority of alleged offences occurred while householders were away, the group also allegedly committed two home invasions and one aggravated burglary.

On Friday 9 August police executed five search warrants at properties across Melbourne’s northern suburbs.

Multiple vehicles valued at more than $190,000 were seized.

It will be alleged they are proceeds of crime.

Property recovered includes:

• A Ford Ranger ute;
• A Kia Carnival;
• A BMW X5 4WD;
• A Mercedes Sedan;
• A Volkswagen Touareg;
• A caravan;
• Around $7000 in cash; and
• A number of designer watches including a Rolex worth more than $120,000.

The four arrested men comprise:

• A 31-year-old man of no fixed address arrested at an apartment in Footscray. He was charged with home invasion and burglary. He was remanded to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 6 November.
• A 32-year-old man of no fixed address arrested at an apartment in Brunswick. He was charged with home invasion and burglary. He was remanded to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 6 November.
• A 33-year-old man of no fixed address arrested at a caravan park in Coburg. He was charged with home invasion and burglary. He was remanded to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 6 November.
• A 32-year-old man of no fixed address arrested at a property in Flemington. He was charged with home invasion and burglary. He was remanded to appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court’ on 6 November.

Police also arrested a 32-year-old woman at a caravan park in Coburg. She was charged with theft. She was bailed to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 28 October.

Investigators are continuing to probe whether the group are linked to any other unsolved burglaries. The investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report via www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

Quotes attributable to Detective Senior Sergeant Daniel Brown:

“This is a clear message to anyone thinking they can break into homes without repercussions.

“We will continue to target serious and organised crime groups, no matter where they’re from.

Media Unit
129287

—

墨尔本东区发生 20 多起入室盗窃案 多名外国人被捕

在墨尔本发生一系列涉嫌入室盗窃案件后，Box Hill 分局反应组的侦探指控了四名来自英国的外国人，并缴获了车辆和现金。

警方称，这四名嫌疑人于今年早些时候进入澳大利亚，并于四月至七月期间在墨尔本实施了 20 多起入室盗窃。

警方称，在事件发生期间，该团伙会使用清洁产品来掩盖他们的踪迹。

据称，该团伙盗窃了价值超过 50 万美元的财物，包括现金、名牌珠宝、手表和手袋。

据称，这些嫌疑人针对的是伯伍德 (Burwood)、克雷吉伯恩 (Craigieburn)、唐卡斯特 (Doncaster)、埃平 (Epping)、森林山 (Forest Hill)、希尔赛德 (Hillside)、霍珀斯克罗辛 (Hoppers Crossing)、米尔公园 (Mill Park)、韦弗利山 (Mount Waverley) 和塔内特 (Tarneit) 的民宅。

虽然大多数涉嫌犯罪行为都是在住户不在家时发生的，但该团伙还涉嫌犯下两次入室盗窃和一次恶性盗窃。

8 月 9 日星期五，警方对墨尔本北部郊区的房屋执行了五次搜查令。

多辆价值超过 19 万美元的车辆被扣押。

它们将被指控为犯罪所得。

追回的财产包括：

• 一辆福特 Ranger 皮卡；
• 起亚嘉年华；
• 一辆宝马 X5 4WD；
• 一辆奔驰轿车；
• 一辆大众途锐；
• 一辆大篷车；
• 约7000美元现金；以及
• 多块名牌手表，包括一块价值超过 120,000 美元的劳力士手表。

被捕四名男子包括：

• 一名 31 岁、无固定住址的男子在 Footscray 的一间公寓内被捕。他被控入室盗窃。他被还押候审，将于 11 月 6 日在墨尔本地方法院出庭受审。
• 一名 32 岁、无固定住址的男子在布伦瑞克的一间公寓内被捕。他被控入室盗窃。他被还押候审，将于 11 月 6 日在墨尔本地方法院出庭受审。
• 一名 33 岁、无固定住址的男子在科堡的旅行车公园被捕。他被控入室盗窃。他被还押候审，将于 11 月 6 日在墨尔本地方法院出庭受审。
• 一名 32 岁、无固定住址男子在弗莱明顿的一处房产被捕。他被控入室盗窃。他被还押候审，将于 11 月 6 日在墨尔本地方法院出庭。

警方还在科堡的旅行车公园逮捕了一名 32 岁女子。她被控盗窃罪。她已获准保释，将于 10 月 28 日在墨尔本地方法院出庭受审。

调查人员正在继续调查该团伙是否与其他未破获的入室盗窃案有关。调查仍在进行中。

高级侦缉警长 Daniel Brown 的引言：

“这对于那些认为可以入室盗窃而不承担后果的人来说是一个明确的信号。

“我们将继续打击严重有组织的犯罪集团，无论他们来自哪里。

(State Government of Victoria Police)
Aggravated burglary in Kew with a side of muffins – Update

Assistance from the public has resulted in Boroondara Crime Investigation Unit detectives charging a man in relation to an alleged aggravated burglary in Kew earlier this month.

Investigators had been told a man entered a house on Pakington Street and stole numerous items before eating two muffins, left out on the kitchen bench, about 5.30am on 6 August.

Once outside the house he allegedly stole a 2018 Toyota Landcruiser with Victorian registration ASI169.

The vehicle is still outstanding.

An appeal for public assistance earlier this week resulted in valuable crumbs of information being provided to investigators.

A 28-year-old man of no fixed address has since been charged with aggravated burglary, theft of motor vehicle, two counts of attempted theft of motor vehicle, criminal damage and possess proceeds of crime.

He has been bailed to face Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 1 November.

Sam Bidey
Media Unit
129660

—

在公众的协助下，Boroondara 犯罪调查组的侦探对一名男子提出指控，指控他涉嫌于本月初在 Kew 犯下一起恶性入室盗窃案。

调查人员获悉，8 月 6 日凌晨 5 点 30 分左右，一名男子进入帕金顿街的一所民宅，偷走了大量物品，然后吃了放在厨房长凳上的两个松饼。

据称，走出屋外后，他偷了一辆维多利亚州车牌号为 ASI169 的 2018 款丰田陆地巡洋舰。

该车目前仍表现优异。

本周早些时候的一次公众援助呼吁为调查人员提供了宝贵的信息。

一名 28 岁无固定住址男子被指控加重入室盗窃、盗窃机动车、两项企图盗窃机动车、刑事破坏和持有犯罪所得。

他已获保释，将于 11 月 1 日出庭墨尔本地方法院。

Nationwide policing operation targets widespread SIM box fraud
Friday 19 July 2024

This is a joint media release from Australian Federal Police, New South Wales Police Force, Western Australia Police Force, Tasmania Police, Victoria Police, Queensland Police Service, and AUSTRAC

Policing agencies across Australia have joined forces in a National Day of Action (Thursday 18 July, 2024), coordinated by the AFP-led Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre (JPC3), to disrupt cyber criminals allegedly using SIM boxes to scam hundreds of Australians.

SIM boxes are allegedly used by criminals to commit large-scale SMS phishing attacks known as ‘smishing’. Smishing is a malicious attack that uses deceptive text messages to deceive victims into downloading malware or sharing personal information.

Police have arrested five alleged offenders including three people in NSW and two people to proceed by summons in Victoria. The alleged offenders are suspected of using SIM boxes to send fraudulent SMS phishing communications to access and obtain personal information from unsuspecting Australians via their banking or government-affiliated online accounts.

The investigation was initiated by NSW Police Force (NSWPF) in March, 2024, and utilised the JPC3 to coordinate state and territory police in the targeting, disruption and seizure of SIM boxes nationwide.

Members from the AFP, NSWPF, Western Australia Police Force, Tasmania Police, Queensland Police Service, and Victoria Police, worked together to execute six search warrants across a number of suburbs in New South Wales and Victoria yesterday (Thursday 18 July, 2024).

During the searches in Victoria, police located and seized three 16 slot SIM boxes, nine mobile phones, three laptops, stolen identity documents, and in excess of 500 used SIM cards from a Melbourne address.

Police also located SIM box parts, $25,000 in gift cards, two luxury watches, and a gel blaster at a Doncaster premises.

During the searches in New South Wales, Cybercrime Squad detectives seized 26 SIM boxes, thousands of mobile SIM cards, over 500 mobile phones and gift cards, $166,000 in cash and two luxury vehicles valued at $330,000.

The following individuals were arrested and charged as a result of the National Day of Action:
A Sydney man, 23, was arrested in Sydney’s CBD and taken to Surry Hills Police Station where he was charged with the Commonwealth offence using equipment connected to network to commit a serious offence, as well as dishonestly obtaining/dealing in personal financial information.
He was refused bail to appear at Downing Centre Local Court today (Friday 19 July, 2024).
A Burwood man, 25, was arrested at Burwood. He was taken to Burwood Police Station of dealing with identity information to commit etc indictable offence, as well as tampering with evidence with intent to mislead judicial tribunal and failing to comply digital evidence access order direction.
He was refused bail to appear at Burwood Local Court today (Friday 19 July, 2024).
A man, 25, was arrested at Wolli Creek and later charged with the Commonwealth offence of using equipment connected to network to commit a serious offence.
He was refused bail to appear at Sutherland Local Court today (Friday 19 July, 2024).
A Melbourne woman, 32, and Doncaster man, 29, were arrested and interviewed in relation to the Commonwealth offences of using a telecommunications network with intention to commit a serious offence and dishonestly obtaining or dealing in personal financial information.
They are expected to be charged on summons.

AFP Detective Superintendent Tim Stainton said SIM boxes were cheap and malicious machines criminals used to defraud hundreds of victims at a time.

“Criminals will send millions of deceptive text messages to Australian mobile users’ casting a wide net over the entire community in an attempt to trap and defraud as many victims as possible,” Det-Supt Tim Stainton said.

“If not disrupted through police action, the SIM boxes had a combined potential to continue to distribute between four and six million fraudulent messages every day.

“The AFP will not tolerate the exploitation of Australians, especially victims who have had their personal data stolen, and is working tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to eradicate the criminal exploitation of SIM boxes nationwide.

“We encourage people to protect themselves against phishing scams by carefully reviewing emails or text messages before clicking on any links. If you think you are a victim of a phishing scam, please report it to police at via the report button at www.cyber.gov.au.

“There is virtually no legitimate reason to have a SIM box in your home. We encourage anyone, whether you are a landlord conducting an inspection on a rental property or a guest visiting someone’s home, if you see a SIM box report it to police.

“If you work in retail and someone comes in buying hundreds of SIM cards or dozens of mobile phones, please report it to your management and to police.”

Victoria Police Detective Superintendent Tim McKinney, Cybercrime Division said a single SIM box could hold over 100 SIM cards and is capable of sending hundreds of thousands of simultaneous malicious text messages a day.

“This kind of offending is cowardly. It involves criminals essentially casting their net out far and wide and taking advantage of the trust the community has in legitimate business names. They rely on a handful of unsuspecting recipients clicking the link and inputting their details, and the consequences for those people can be devastating and life changing,” Det-Supt McKinney said.

“Alongside our partners, we will continue working to identify anyone in possession of a SIM box to ensure they are held to account.

“If you receive a text from a number purporting to be a legitimate business, treat it with absolute suspicion and don’t click on any links. Genuine businesses do not interact with their customers via text messages.”

Commander of the New South Wales Police Force Cybercrime Squad, Detective Superintendent Matt Craft, said SMS phishing is one of the most common tactics deployed by scammers to obtain banking and other personal information from a victim.

“The JPC3 fosters a collaborative approach where law enforcement is concerned, and NSW Police have worked closely with national and state agencies in a bid to disrupt and prevent the use of SIM boxes nationwide.” Det-Supt Craft said.

“In NSW alone, the operation seized 26 SIM boxes which have sent over 318 million messages over the past several months, scamming victims out of millions of dollars.

“The results and success of today’s operation comes from the joint approach co-ordinated out of the JPC3. The power of law enforcement and private industry in joining forces to disrupt crime is considerable.

“People considering engaging in this type of behaviour should think twice, as there is truly a national focus on SIM boxes.”

Tasmania Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Doug Oosterloo said Tasmania Police works closely with partner agencies to coordinate operational activities and hold offenders to account.

“While we haven’t seen smishing scams emanating from Tasmania yet, we know Tasmanians are not immune from being targeted,” he said.

“We urge community members to take preventative steps like having strong, unique passphrases and enabling multi-factor authentication for online accounts.”

—

这是澳大利亚联邦警察局、新南威尔士警察局、西澳大利亚警察局、塔斯马尼亚警察局、维多利亚警察局、昆士兰警察局和 AUSTRAC 联合发布的新闻稿。

澳大利亚各地的警察机构联合起来，在联邦警察领导的联合警察网络犯罪协调中心 (JPC3) 的协调下，举行了全国行动日 (2024 年 7 月 18 日星期四)，以打击涉嫌使用 SIM 盒诈骗数百名澳大利亚人的网络犯罪分子。

据称，犯罪分子会利用 SIM 卡盒实施大规模短信钓鱼攻击，即所谓的“短信钓鱼”。短信钓鱼是一种恶意攻击，利用欺骗性短信诱骗受害者下载恶意软件或分享个人信息。

警方已逮捕五名嫌疑人，其中三人来自新南威尔士州，两人来自维多利亚州，正在接受传票调查。这些嫌疑人涉嫌使用 SIM 卡盒发送欺诈性短信钓鱼信息，通过银行或政府附属的在线账户访问和获取不知情的澳大利亚人的个人信息。

该调查由新南威尔士州警察部队 (NSWPF) 于 2024 年 3 月发起，并利用 JPC3 协调州和领地警察在全国范围内瞄准、破坏和扣押 SIM 卡盒。

昨天（2024 年 7 月 18 日，星期四），澳大利亚联邦警察、新南威尔士警察部队、西澳大利亚警察部队、塔斯马尼亚警察、昆士兰警察和维多利亚警察联合对新南威尔士州和维多利亚州的多个郊区执行了六项搜查令。

在维多利亚州的搜查中，警方在墨尔本的一个地址找到并缴获了三个 16 槽 SIM 卡盒、九部手机、三台笔记本电脑、被盗身份证件以及超过 500 张二手 SIM 卡。

警方还在唐卡斯特的一处房产中发现了 SIM 卡盒零件、价值 2.5 万美元的礼品卡、两块豪华手表和一把凝胶喷枪。

在新南威尔士州的搜查中，网络犯罪小组侦探查获了 26 个 SIM 盒、数千张移动 SIM 卡、500 多部手机和礼品卡、166,000 美元现金和两辆价值 330,000 美元的豪华汽车。

—

318 million scam texts sent from four Sydney addresses: police

Three men have been arrested after police dismantled a “sophisticated” scam text operation that police allege sent 318 million texts in just three months from a handful of locations around Sydney.

As part of a joint operation with the Australian Federal Police and state police, officers stormed locations in Sydney’s CBD, Wolli Creek, Burwood and Auburn, where they uncovered multiple SIM boxes, which are devices that connect to several SIM cards to send out millions of text messages around the country.

The messages, which often purport to be from trusted companies or government departments, ask the recipients for their personal information in a bid to scam them out of their money or steal their identities.

NSW Police Detective Superintendent Matt Kraft said those four locations alone were responsible for between 50 and 75 per cent of the scam text messages coming out of NSW.

“Yesterday we seized a total of 26 SIM boxes and over 500 mobile handsets,” he said.

“It will be alleged that, at those locations, they were technically savvy and it was a very sophisticated set-up where those SIM boxes were able to be controlled from that location but also remotely.”

A 23-year-old man was arrested in a unit in Sydney’s CBD and charged with using equipment connected to a network to commit a serious offence, and dishonestly obtaining personal financial information.

At Burwood a 25-year-old man was arrested and charged with dealing with identity information to commit an indictable offence, and tampering with evidence to mislead a judicial tribunal.

At Wolli Creek, police found a large scam set-up in which 11 SIM boxes were operating from a single location.A 25-year-old man was arrested and charged with using the equipment to commit a serious offence.

All three men were refused bail by police and will appear before the courts on Friday.

Police call the phenomenon “smishing”, which is short for SMS phishing. Police say the crime is prevalent in Australia and that further arrests are expected in the near future.

Five people were arrested in the national day of action against “smishing” on Thursday.

AFP Detective Superintendent Tim Stainton said there was no legitimate reason for any Australian to possess a SIM box. He called on members of the public to call police if they ever see one in use.

“Anyone who has a mobile phone could potentially become a victim. Most members of the community have received these text messages,” Stainton said.

Australians have lost $5.6 million in text message-related scams so far this year according to data from Scam Watch.

NSW is the most impacted state in Australia when it comes to these scams with 15,639 reports to Scam Watch this year.

In December 2023 NSW Police were able to trace 17 million scam texts to one man in Moorebank, who used a SIM box to send scam messages purporting to be from Australia Post and tolling company Linkt.

—

新州警方搗毀悉尼短信詐騙團夥 短期內發送上億條短信三男子被捕

在警方搗毀了一個狡詐的短信詐騙團夥後，三名男子被逮捕。警方稱，該團夥在短短三個月內從悉尼的幾個地方發送了3.18億條短信。

作為澳洲聯邦警察和州警察聯合行動的一部分，警方突襲了悉尼市中心、Wolli Creek、寶活（Burwood）和奧本（Auburn）的多個地點，他們發現了多個SIM卡盒，這些設備連接到多個SIM卡上，向全國各地發送數百萬條短信。

這些信息通常聲稱來自可信的公司或政府部門，要求收件人提供個人信息，以騙取他們的錢或竊取他們的身份。

新州警察偵緝總監克拉夫特（Matt Kraft）表示，僅這四個地方就產生了新州50%至75%的詐騙短信。

他在19日說，昨天我們總共繳獲了26個SIM卡盒和500多部手機，我們將指控在這些地點，他們在技術上很精明，這是一個非常復雜的設置，這些SIM卡盒能夠在那裡，甚至遠程控制。

一名23歲的男子在悉尼市中心的一個單元房被捕，他被控使用連接到網絡的設備犯下嚴重罪行，並以不誠實的方式獲取個人財務信息。

在寶活，一名25歲的男子被捕，並被指控處理身份信息以犯下可起訴的罪行，以及篡改證據以誤導司法法庭。

在Wolli Creek，警方發現了一個大型裝置，一個地點運行著11個SIM卡盒。一名25歲的男子被捕，並被指控使用該設備犯下嚴重罪行。

三名男子均被警方拒絕保釋，並於19日出庭。

警方稱這種現像為短信釣魚，警方表示，這種犯罪在澳洲很普遍，預計在不久的將來會有更多的逮捕行動。

在18日的全國打擊詐騙日行動中，五人被捕。

聯邦警察偵探警司斯坦頓（Tim Stainton）說，任何澳洲人都沒有合法理由擁有一個SIM卡盒。他呼籲公眾，如果看到有人使用這種手機，請立即報警。

斯坦頓說，任何擁有手機的人都有可能成為受害者。大多數社區成員都收到過這些短信。

根據詐騙觀察的數據，今年到目前為止，澳人在與短信有關的騙局中損失了560萬元。

新州是受騙局影響最大的州，今年有15639份詐騙報告。

2023年12月，新州警方追蹤到Moorebank的一名男子發送了1700萬條詐騙短信，該男子使用一個SIM卡盒發送詐騙短信，聲稱是來自澳洲郵政和收費公司Linkt。

Newcastle police charge man over alleged parcel theft
Thursday, 18 July 2024

Newcastle police have charged a man over the alleged theft of parcels in the Lambton area earlier this month.

On Thursday 11 July 2024, officers attached to Newcastle City Police District received a report that parcels had been stolen from the front of a New Lambton home.

Following extensive inquiries, police arrested a 38-year-old man at a shopping centre on Steel Street, Newcastle, about 11.30am today (Thursday 18 July 2024).

During the arrest police allegedly located methylamphetamine and cannabis on the man. All items were seized for forensic examination.

The 38-year-old was taken to Newcastle Police Station where he was charged with larceny, enter inclosed land not prescribed without law excuse and two counts of possess prohibited drug.

The man was granted conditional bail to appear before Newcastle Local Court on Thursday 15 August 2024.

Investigations are continuing.

—

本月初，纽卡斯尔警方对一名男子提出指控，指控其在兰姆顿地区盗窃包裹。

2024 年 7 月 11 日星期四，纽卡斯尔市警察局的警员接到报告称，纽兰姆顿一所住宅门前的包裹被盗。

经过广泛调查，警方于今天（2024 年 7 月 18 日，星期四）上午 11 点 30 分左右在纽卡斯尔钢铁街的一家购物中心逮捕了一名 38 岁的男子。

警方在逮捕过程中据称在该男子身上发现了甲基苯丙胺和大麻。所有物品均被没收进行法医检验。

这名 38 岁的男子被带到纽卡斯尔警察局，被指控盗窃、未经法律允许进入未经规定的封闭土地以及两项持有违禁药物。

该男子获得有条件保释，将于 2024 年 8 月 15 日星期四在纽卡斯尔地方法院出庭。

（Telstra）
Scammers the ultimate weekend weasels, targeting Aussies when their guard is down
Scammers aren’t letting up, so we’re not backing down either.

Scammers are more persistent than ever, but we’re blocking more of their scams than ever. Our always-on cyber security team helps guard Australians around-the-clock, and we’ve been studying their tactics.

From all the data we’ve collected by blocking millions and millions of scams, we’ve noticed scammers love to target Australians on some days more than others.

After looking at the scam SMS messages we blocked in 2022 and 2023, scammers are more likely to contact you on Fridays or Saturdays. Leading into the weekend, we block 11% more scams on Friday and Saturday than we do any other day on average.

Some rest for the wicked: like most of us, scammers do tend to slow down at the end of the week and observe Sunday as a rest day – we block almost 20% less on a Sunday compared to the weekly average.

Our teams have also observed that some of the scams managing to slip through the nets are being targeted between 1am and 4am. This is no coincidence.

Scammer psychology

Scammers try to take advantage of lapsed judgement: whether that’s before your first cup of coffee, while you’re busy running weekend errands, or simply in relaxation mode. They pose as real and recognisable companies and/or agencies, and threaten everything from cancelled car registrations through to damage to your credit report, or even legal action.

Scammers will try to manipulate you into responding quickly before you have a chance to stop and think. By targeting you at these times, scammers maximise their chances of success, exploiting moments when potential victims are not fully alert.

Strewth! Scammers are using AI to sound like Aussies
As technology evolves, scammers also evolve their techniques and approaches. While we use AI to help protect our network and our customers, scammers also like to use generative AI tools to produce highly-personalised messages.

Lately, we’ve seen scammers use AI to sound more Australian to try and trick locals into thinking they’re “true blue” – it’s clear they aren’t quite there yet! Check out this example caught by our systems and analysts:

Scams on the rise

In 2023, reports of scams in Australia jumped up by 18.5% compared to 2022, according to Scamwatch’s Targeting Scams Report. Text messaging remains a scammer’s favourite way to reach us, with over 109,000 reported SMS scams in 2023, which is up 37% from 2022 (that’s about 40,000 more reports!).

While scams are up, we’ve seen a massive rise in the number of scams that we’re blocking.

In 2023 alone, the Cleaner Pipes team helped block an average of 11 million scam SMS messages every month. That’s an increase of 69% year on year. We also blocked 11% more calls in 2023 than in 2022. And the trend continues unabated: in the first quarter of 2024 alone, we’ve blocked approximately 25% more SMS scams on average compared to the second half of last year.

How you can help

Cyber security is a team sport: if you get a scam text, snitch on that scammer!

By forwarding it to us, you can help to help our systems better learn what scams are floating around to stop them reaching more people.

Here’s how you can report a scam:

Forward the message: If you receive a suspicious text, you can forward it to us by either sending it to 7226 or by using the “Report Junk” feature if you’re on an Apple device. This helps us identify new scam trends and block similar messages in the future.

Stay informed: Keep yourself updated on the latest scam tactics and tips on how to protect yourself by visiting our blog and following our updates.

By working together, we can make it harder for scammers to succeed and help keep your data and money safe. So, stay vigilant, stay informed, and remember—we’re always here to support you, working 24/7 to enhance your security.

—

Telstra data exposes scammers trick to swindle Aussies
Telstra cybersecurity experts have warned scammers are more likely to target Aussies on particular days. Here’s what you need to watch out for.

Scammers are more likely to target innocent Aussies on Fridays and Saturdays and ply their dishonest tricks more often in the early mornings, telecommunications giant Telstra says.

The company’s cyber security safeguards blocked 11 per cent more scams on Fridays and Saturdays in 2022 and 2023, and some of the scams that had “slipped through the nets” were pushed out between 1am and 4am.

Telstra cyber security expert Darren Pauli said the early morning attacks were “no coincidence”.

“Scammers try to take advantage of lapsed Judgement,” he said.

“Whether that’s before your first cup of coffee, while you’re busy running weekend errands, or simply in relaxation mode.

“They pose as real and recognisable companies or agencies and threaten everything from cancelled car registrations through to damage to your credit report, or even legal action.

“Scammers will try to manipulate you into responding quickly before you have a chance to stop and think.

“By targeting you at these times, scammers maximise their chances of success, exploiting moments when potential victims are not fully alert.”

Mr Pauli said the company blocked 20 per cent fewer scams on Sunday compared to the weekly average.

And in a troubling development, Mr Pauli said scammers were now using AI to try and “sound like Aussies” to make their swindles more effective.

“As technology evolves, scammers also evolve their techniques and approaches,” he said.

“While we use AI to help protect our network and our customers, scammers also like to use generative AI tools to produce highly-personalised messages.

“Lately, we’ve seen scammers use AI to sound more Australian to try and trick locals into thinking they’re ‘true blue’.

Scams are also on the rise, the company said.

In 2023, reports of scams in Australia jumped up 18.5 per cent compared to 2022, according to Scamwatch’s Targeting Scams Report.

Text messaging remains a scammer’s favourite way to reach Australians, with over 109,000 reported SMS scams in 2023, a 37 per cent increase from 2022.

—

澳洲电信巨头Telstra表示，骗子更有可能在周五和周六瞄准无辜的澳洲人，并更频繁地在清晨施展他们骗人的伎俩。

在2022年和2023年，该公司的网络安全保障措施在周五和周六拦截的诈骗数量增加了11%，而且一些“漏网”的诈骗信息在凌晨1点到4点之间发出。

Telstra网络安全专家保利（Darren Pauli）表示，凌晨发生的攻击“并非巧合”。他说，“骗子们试图利用（人们）不集中的判断力。”

“无论是在喝第一杯咖啡之前，还是在忙于周末的杂事时，或者仅仅是在放松模式下。

“他们（骗子）冒充真实可信的公司或机构，威胁要取消您的汽车注册，破坏您的信用报告，甚至采取法律行动。

“诈骗者会在你有机会停下来思考之前试图操纵你，迫使你迅速做出回应。

“通过在这些时候瞄准你，骗子利用潜在受害者没有完全警觉的时刻，最大限度地增加了他们的成功机会。”保利解释说。

保利表示，像我们大多数人一样，诈骗者往往会在周末放慢脚步，并将周日视为休息日——与每周平均水平相比，我们在周日拦截的诈骗数量减少了近 20%。

他说，令人担忧的是骗子们现在正在使用人工智能，试图 “听起来像澳洲人”，以使他们的诈骗更加有效。

“随着技术的发展，骗子也在不断改进他们的技术和方法。”

“虽然我们使用人工智能来帮助保护我们的网络和客户，但骗子也喜欢使用生成式人工智能工具来制作高度个性化的信息。”

“最近，我们看到骗子利用人工智能让自己听起来更像澳洲人，试图骗取当地人的信任。”

Almost one in three Australians fell for this tax scam, would you?
Jun 10, 2024

Australians are being warned to be wary of tax phishing scams as the financial year comes to a close.

The alert comes amid new research which shows that while Australians are overwhelmingly confident about their ability to identify scams, around a third failed to identify at least one when tested.

The research, commissioned by the Commonwealth Bank, shows nine in ten of adults surveyed were confident they could spot a fake SMS or email.

However, when they were tested with three examples of tax scams, only 69 percent successfully identified all of them.

Scam number 1
An example of a scam text message. (Commonwealth Bank Australia)
This was the easiest scam to spot, with all but 4 percent of respondents easily identifying this text message as a fake.

Scam number 2
A example of a phishing scam involving Services Australia. (Commonwealth Bank Australia)
This scam was also relatively easy to identify as a trick, with only 7 percent of respondents failing to spot it as a suspicious message.

Scam number 3
This is the scam example which fooled almost a third of people surveyed. (Commonwealth Bank Australia)
The hardest to identify by far, this example of a scam tricked 28 percent of respondents, who believed it to be a legitimate message from MyGov.

The research also showed that around one in four Australians have been exposed to a tax-related scam.

Last year, the Australian Tax Office (ATO) received more than 22,000 reports of tax scams, with the numbers increasing from the end of the financial year to peak at more than 3500 in the month of October, around when most tax returns are issued.

James Roberts, CBA’s general manager of group fraud, said while it was encouraging to see the majority of Australians were confidently able to spot scams when tested, it was concerning that almost a third didn’t spot all of them.

“Scammers are the most opportunistic criminals and will actively campaign to capitalise on tax season,” Roberts said.

“Everyone should keep an eye out for text messages and emails impersonating myGov and the ATO.”

“They may appear in a thread of legitimate messages from these organisations. The major red flag for this type of scam is the link, which differs considerably from the official myGov and ATO website addresses.”

Phishing scammers use SMS messages or emails impersonating well-known businesses or government organisations. The messages will include a link to a fake website which might look very real.

Once directed to the website, consumers will be asked to enter their card details and other personal information.

According to the National Anti-Scam Centre, phishing is the third most common type of scam, behind only investment and romance scams.

So far this year, Australians have reported almost $4.7 million in losses to phishing scams, with the average victim losing around $2000.

Tips to avoid phishing scams:
•Stop – consider whether a call, email or text seems suspicious. Legitimate
organisations won’t put you under pressure to act immediately.
•Check – ask someone you trust or contact the organisation on a verified number. Do not rely on contact details provided by the potential scammer.
•Reject – if you are unsure, hang up on the caller, delete the email, and block the phone number.

—

几乎三分之一的澳大利亚人遭遇过这种税务骗局，你会吗？

随着财政年度即将结束，澳大利亚人被警告要警惕税务网络钓鱼诈骗。
这一警报是在新的研究中发布的，研究显示，尽管澳大利亚人对自己识别诈骗的能力非常有信心，但约有三分之一的人在测试时未能识别出至少一种诈骗手段。
这项由联邦银行委托进行的研究显示，接受调查的成年人中，有九成相信自己能够发现虚假短信或电子邮件。
然而，当他们接受三起税务欺诈案例测试时，只有 69% 的人成功识别了所有欺诈行为。

骗局一
诈骗短信示例。 （澳大利亚联邦银行）
这是最容易发现的骗局，除 4% 的受访者外，其余所有人都能轻易识别出这条短信是假的。

骗局二
涉及 Services Australia 的网络钓鱼诈骗示例。 （澳大利亚联邦银行）
这种骗局也相对容易被识别为一种诡计，只有 7% 的受访者未能发现它是一条可疑信息。

骗局三
这个骗局欺骗了近三分之一的受访者。 （澳大利亚联邦银行）
这是迄今为止最难识别的诈骗案例，28％的受访者相信这是来自 MyGov 的合法消息。

研究还显示，大约四分之一的澳大利亚人遭遇过税务诈骗。
去年，澳大利亚税务局 (ATO) 收到了超过 22,000 起税务欺诈报告，报告数量从财政年度末开始不断增加，在 10 月份（大多数纳税申报单发放时间左右）达到了峰值 3,500 多起。
CBA 集团欺诈问题总经理詹姆斯罗伯茨 (James Roberts) 表示，虽然看到大多数澳大利亚人在测试时能够自信地识别诈骗行为令人鼓舞，但令人担忧的是，近三分之一的人并没有发现所有诈骗行为。
罗伯茨说：“诈骗者是最善于投机取巧的犯罪分子，他们会积极利用纳税季节牟利。”
“每个人都应该警惕冒充myGov和ATO的短信和电子邮件。”
“它们可能会出现在这些组织发出的合法消息中。这种诈骗的主要危险信号是链接，它与官方的 myGov 和 ATO 网站地址有很大不同。”
网络钓鱼诈骗者会使用冒充知名企业或政府机构的短信或电子邮件。这些短信中会包含一个看似真实的虚假网站链接。
一旦进入该网站，消费者将被要求输入他们的卡详细信息和其他个人信息。
据国家反诈骗中心称，网络钓鱼是第三大最常见的诈骗类型，仅次于投资诈骗和爱情诈骗。
今年迄今为止，澳大利亚人已报告因网络钓鱼诈骗造成的损失近 470 万美元，平均每个受害者损失约 2000 美元。

Scam losses decline, but more work to do as Australians lose $2.7 billion

The National Anti-Scam Centre’s collaborative efforts across government, law enforcement, consumer organisations and industry have boosted the community’s fight against financial crime, as the latest Targeting Scams report reveals a 13.1 per cent decline in reported losses to $2.74 billion in 2023.

The report compiles data reported to Scamwatch, ReportCyber, the Australian Financial Crimes Exchange (AFCX), IDCARE and ASIC.

It shows that Australians made over 601,000 scam reports to these organisations in 2023, an 18.5 per cent increase on 2022. In terms of financial losses, investment scams continued to cause the most harm ($1.3 billion), followed by remote access scams ($256 million) and romance scams ($201.1 million). With scam activity on the rise globally in recent years, the report highlights the impact of targeted and coordinated disruption activities across government, industry, law enforcement and community organisations, leading to lower overall financial losses.

“It is encouraging to see signs that our coordinated scam prevention, detection and disruption initiatives can stem the flow of funds to criminals and protect consumers,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.

“We are optimistic that our combined efforts will continue to reduce scam losses. We will continue this important work because losses remain too high and behind the numbers are real people who have lost money, often every last cent, to scams.”

“That’s why we remain committed to ensuring there are no weak links for scammers to exploit. A Scams Code Framework with strong, mandatory and enforceable obligations on banks, telcos and digital platforms will be central to this,” Ms Lowe said.

“Good data and intel sharing is also key and we will be adding to the number of parties sending data into the National Anti-Scams Centre having made good progress on sending data out.”

https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/scam-losses-decline-but-more-work-to-do-as-australians-lose-27-billion
https://www.accc.gov.au/about-us/publications/serial-publications/targeting-scams-reports-on-scams-activity/targeting-scams-report-of-the-accc-on-scams-activity-2023
https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/targeting-scams-report-activity-2023.pdf

(AFP-The Australian Federal Police News Centre)
Suspected criminal operation accused of laundering $1 billion
This is a joint media release between the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Taxation Office as part of the Serious Financial Crime Taskforce

The AFP has seized $500,000 as part of an investigation into a Sydney-based cheque cashing entity suspected of laundering more than $1 billion to facilitate tax fraud.

It is suspected this operation was used by businesses from a range of industries to help them evade their tax obligations and commit tax fraud.

The suspected criminal operation received business funds in electronic or cheque form and purported to provide goods and services in return, evidenced by fraudulent invoices. The participating business then received their funds back as cash, minus a commission. This is commonly known as a false invoicing arrangement, which is a key focus area for the SFCT.

Authorities executed search warrants at seven residential and business properties on Friday April 5, 2024 in the Sydney suburbs of Liverpool, Beverly Hills, Kingsgrove, Cabramatta and Earlwood as part of the joint investigation.

During the searches, officers seized more than $500,000 cash, financial documents, electronic devices, and mobile phones which will undergo further analysis.

A gel blaster firearm and fireworks were also seized.

A man, 55, was arrested and charged with a breach of bail for an unrelated offence and was formally refused bail at Bankstown Local Court on Friday, April 5, 2024. He will next appear in court on 31 May, 2024.

Complementing AFP action, the ATO made Access Without Notice (AWON) visits across five sites in NSW and Victoria.

AFP Detective Acting Superintendent James Rowe said financial crime and tax fraud robbed Australians of money which could be used to benefit their communities.

“The AFP works closely with the ATO to ensure people who cheat the tax system or enable others to avoid their obligations are not rewarded for their conduct,” he said.

“Our investigative team – which is made up of highly skilled investigators, forensic accountants and technical experts – work diligently to ensure that anyone responsible for financial crime is brought to justice.

ATO Deputy Commissioner and SFCT Chief John Ford said: “The action taken last week demonstrates that we will identify and act against individuals and businesses engaging with false invoicing arrangements to avoid their tax and super obligations.”

“The SFCT is warning businesses against using these types of arrangements. We will effectively deal with those who engage in false invoicing, or other illegal financial arrangements and work with partner agencies where appropriate,” Mr Ford said.

“We encourage those involved in false invoicing arrangements to come forward and make a voluntary disclosure.”

Investigations are continuing.

—

Cash seized as police claim suspected criminal operation laundered $1 billion

Police have seized more than half a million dollars in cash as they investigate what’s suspected to be a billion-dollar money-laundering scheme.

Investigators from the multi-agency Serious Financial Crime Taskforce claim a Sydney-based cheque-cashing business has washed more than $1 billion to help businesses in a range of industries commit tax fraud.

So far, only one man, a 55-year-old, has been arrested, and charged with breaching bail for an unrelated offence but the Australian Federal Police says investigations continue.

Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Kristy Schofield claimed the criminal operation took money from about 1200 businesses and issued fraudulent invoices for pretended goods and services.

“The participating business, then received their funds back as cash minus a commission. This is commonly known as false invoicing arrangement,” she said.

They raided seven homes and businesses across Sydney on Friday and seized more than $500,000 in cash, financial documents, electronic devices, mobile phones, a gel blaster firearm and fireworks.

The Australian Tax Office also made searches at five sites without notice in NSW and Victoria.

AFP Detective Acting Superintendent James Rowe said tax fraud and financial crime robbed Australians of money that could help communities.

“The AFP works closely with the ATO to ensure people who cheat the tax system or enable others to avoid their obligations are not rewarded for their conduct,” he said, in a statement.

ATO Deputy Commissioner John Ford said the operation showed it would act against people running false invoicing schemes to avoid tax and super payments.

“The SFCT is warning businesses against using these types of arrangements. We will effectively deal with those who engage in false invoicing, or other illegal financial arrangements and work with partner agencies where appropriate,” Ford said.

The 55-year-old man faced Bankstown Local Court on Friday and will return to court on May 31.

The AFP believes billions of dollars are laundered in Australia every year.

The unrelated Plutus Payroll fraud siphoned off $105 million of funds destined for the tax office.

An alleged criminal syndicate smashed last year was accused of laundering almost $229 million in the proceeds of crime over three years.

That was described as the most complex AFP-led money laundering investigation in Australian history.

ASIC seeks orders to wind up Prospero Markets Pty Ltd

ASIC has applied to the Federal Court to wind up retail OTC derivative issuer Prospero Markets Pty Ltd (Prospero) on just and equitable grounds.

ASIC commenced its investigation into Prospero following the Australian Federal Police’s Operation Avarus-Nightwolf which resulted in former officers and responsible managers of Prospero being charged with money-laundering offences in October 2023 relating to the Changjiang Currency Exchange money remitting chain.

ASIC holds a broad range of concerns regarding the management of Prospero’s business, including in relation to compliance with its Australian Financial Services (AFS) Licence conditions and obligations as an OTC derivatives issuer under the Corporations Act.

Prospero’s AFS Licence was suspended in December 2023 (23-352MR), after Prospero failed to lodge its 2023 audited financial accounts.

ASIC understands that Prospero holds substantial client funds and is concerned to see these returned to clients as a priority. ASIC considers that the best way to secure the efficient return of funds to clients is the appointment of liquidators.

ASIC has applied for the Court to appoint Andrew Cummins, Jonathon Keenan and Peter Krejci, of BRI Ferrier, as joint and several liquidators of Prospero.

The matter is listed for a hearing in the Federal Court on 20 March 2024.

Background

Prospero holds AFS Licence, number 423034, which authorised it to provide the following services to retail and wholesale clients:
issue and make a market in derivatives and foreign exchange contracts,
deal in derivatives and foreign exchange contracts on behalf of clients, and
provide financial product advice in relation to derivatives and foreign exchange contracts.

ASIC has received enquiries from clients who are concerned about return of their funds. If liquidators are appointed, ASIC will be seeking to make available to them the information obtained by ASIC during the course of its investigation, including in relation to funds held in client money accounts, to facilitate to the extent possible the expeditious return of client funds.

Alleged SMS scammer Xuan Su accused of sending 17million texts pretending to be from Australia Post and Linkt
PUBLISHED: 05:53 GMT, 17 January 2024

A man who allegedly sent millions of scam text messages within seven days has also been accused of using passport and driver’s licence details to commit fraud as he faced court for the first time.

Xuan Su, 39, is allegedly responsible for sending 17.5 million text messages pretending to be from Australia Post and toll company Linkt over one week in early December through an SMS phishing scam run from his home in south-west Sydney.

These scams typically involve using devices called SMS boxes to send out bulk messages directing people to websites using fraudulent links.

Su was flanked by supporters, including his wife and their young child when he appeared in Liverpool Local Court on Wednesday for a brief hearing.

Su was hit with a fresh charge, accused of using driver’s licences, passports and other personal documents to commit fraud between September 2022 and December 2023 in Hurstville, according to documents filed with the court.

The new charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years behind bars.

Su wore a face mask and carried young child in his arms used as a shield to hide his face while fleeing the media pack when he left court.

He offered no comment to reporters’ questions while a woman understood to be Su’s wife also ordered the media to ‘stop filming my daughter’.

Su was arrested on December 12 when cybercrime officers executed a search warrant at a Moorebank home.

Police seized two SIM boxes, a number of SIM cards and electronics allegedly consistent with running a fraudulent text message scam.

SIM boxes can hold over 250 active SIM cards and can send out up to 150,000 messages daily.

Su is yet to enter pleas to one charge of using equipment connected to a network to commit a serious offence and another charge of using identity information to commit an indictable offence.

Su’s lawyer David Downey asked the court for a two week adjournment to enter pleas.

The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions then requested additional time to serve their brief of evidence,, which was granted.

It remains unclear as to whether Zu plans to fight the two charges when the matter returns to Campbelltown Local Court on April 10.

‘I need to take further instruction from my client,’ Mr Downey told reporters.

He added nor he or his client wished to make any further comment.

Su remains out on bail.