Latest news with #PaulTurner
ABC News
11-07-2025
- ABC News
Victims of crypto ATM scams lose $2.5 million as police warn older Tasmanians are targets
More than a dozen Tasmanians have lost an estimated $2.5 million to financial scammers through the use of cryptocurrency ATMs, with one victim losing more than $750,000. A Tasmania Police investigation found 15 individuals accounted for the losses, with about $900,000 lost through money being deposited directly into crypto ATMs by the victims. A crypto ATM resembles a regular ATM, and is used to purchase or sell cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin or Ethereum, using cash or card. "All of those persons depositing large amounts of funds were victims of some type of scam," Tasmania Police Detective Sergeant Paul Turner said. The average age of the victims was 65, and the average loss for each victim was about $165,000. "In some cases, it delayed retirements. "It meant that victims were forced to sell assets and then become reliant on social services and payment." Sergeant Turner said the scams identified by the Tasmania Police cybercrime investigation were varied. Tactics such as intimidation, threats, promises of high financial returns and creating a sense of urgency were often used by the scammers to manipulate the victims. "Common scams these victims were falling to were romance scams and investment scams," he said. "Also, government and authority scams, and tech support scams, where you receive a phone call from an agency purporting to be who they're not." The investigation found that scammers were targeting vulnerable, older demographics who may not understand cryptocurrencies, or who were hoping to make lucrative financial investments with promises of high returns. Sergeant Turner said the individual who lost $750,000 was targeted by an investment-type scam, with scammers then convincing the victim to send more money to recover the initial amount lost. Most victims were initially contacted by phone, as well as directly through email or social media. Scammers would then move communication over to an encrypted messaging app, like WhatsApp or Telegram. Sergeant Turner said while the use of crypto ATMs to launder money out of the country had grown, the rise in financial scams overall in Tasmania remained consistent. But limitations on police resourcing meant it was difficult to know the true extent of crypto scams in the state. The number of crypto ATMs located in Tasmania continues to grow. In 2021, the state had one crypto ATM — there are now 21 dotted across Tasmania at locations such as supermarkets, milk bars, and bottle shops. That trend is reflected nationally. The financial crime and money-laundering regulator AUSTRAC said that in 2022 there were about 60 crypto ATMs Australia-wide. As of March 2025, it estimated there were 1,600 crypto ATMs across the country, set up by digital currency exchanges. Over that same three-year period the price of a single Bitcoin — the most valuable and well-known cryptocurrency — has almost tripled, growing from more than $65,000 at the start of 2022 to almost $180,000 as of July 2025. The Tasmania Police investigation comes amid a national crackdown on the criminal use of cryptocurrency ATMs. In June, AUSTRAC found that although the vast majority of ATM transactions involved cash deposits to buy Bitcoin, it had identified worrying increase in transactions linked to scams and money laundering. And the ages of the victims were overwhelming middle-aged or older, with people aged over 50 accounting for nearly 72 per cent of crypto ATM transactions. AUSTRAC chief executive Brendan Thomas said people aged 60 to 70 years were identified as among the most prolific users of crypto ATMs. Mr Thomas told the ABC at the time he believed federal regulation had so far failed to keep up with the expansion of the cryptocurrency sector, and the increasing number of crypto ATMs.
Wales Online
06-07-2025
- Automotive
- Wales Online
I went to the F1 paddock at the British Grand Prix and it was like stepping into another world
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info I was just a child when I first remember coming downstairs in the family home on a Sunday afternoon to find the TV on and my dad engrossed watching grainy images of the oddest looking cars driving round and round a track with Murray Walker enthusing excitedly from the commentary box. It caught my attention but I was a kid so a couple of hours sat watching something I didn't really understand seemed an age back then. I'd normally ask how John Watson was doing - the only driver I really knew back then - then disappear when my dad would tell me he was 'I don't know, around 10th I think' in that voice that said, 'go away, I'm trying to concentrate on this'. (Image: Paul Turner) As the years went by, I'd linger for longer, seeing history play out - the rivalry between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, the frustrations of Nigel Mansell. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What's On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here I clearly recall the moment Mansell's tyre blew in Australia in 1986 and he had to wrestle the car to a stop, his World Championship dreams for Williams in tatters. (Image: Paul Turner) I cheered and looked on in awe as thousands of fans invaded the track in 1992 to celebrate Mansell winning that's year's British Grand Prix. And, like Murrary, I had a tear in my eye when Damon Hill won his World Championship for Williams in 1996. Then came the Michael Schumacher years, the devastating death of Ayrton Senna, and the emergence of a new British GP hero in the shape of Lewis Hamilton. (Image: Paul Turner) By now I was a journalist and when the chance came to attend the British Grand Prix as a member of the media, I jumped at the opportunity. Bar a few years around Covid I have been every year since. And being there, at the heart of the action has never lost its shine. That heart of the action, aside from what happens on the track and the pit lane, can be found in the F1 paddock. (Image: Paul Turner) If you're an F1 fan, the paddock is basically paradise. But even if you aren't, it's still a place of awe, especially on a Sunday - race day. The paddock is where all the teams have their motorhomes. I say motorhomes - these are more like palaces of glass and chrome - large structures with sliding doors, several floors, bars, restaurants and meeting rooms within. Opposite those are drivers' personal spaces, tyre stores and other paraphernalia, all still glossy and polished. If you were expecting oily rags and sweat, you won't find any of that. F1 is clinical and squeaky clean. (Image: Paul Turner) And behind those are the garages, hiding the cars themselves and the engineers, and other team personnel - the beating heart of every team's race ambitions. Between all that and the motorhomes, however, is the beating heart of the F1 paddock. For much of the day it's a sea of people - media, team personnel, team sponsors, celebrities and other invited guests, including John Wick actor Keanu Reeves on the day of qualifying, July 5. (Image: Paul Turner) And at the peak points of the day, it's absolutely rammed with bodies, many hoping for a glimpse of one of the drivers, who can normally be spotted flitting from place to place. You'll also find team bosses and race engineers flitting from motorhome to garage, and familiar faces from Channel 4 and Sky's coverage of the Grand Prix doing their pieces to camera. (Image: Paul Turner) Much of the action surrounds the big team's motorhomes - McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes, etc - with people hovering in the hope of a glimpse of one of the drivers, clutching cameras and things to be autographed, given the chance.. But you're just as likely to see a familiar face from sport, music, and film. The F1 paddock on British Grand Prix day is a mecca for the rich and famous. - some of them with an actual interest in F1, others just there for the event or the publicity it might bring. (Image: Paul Turner) And the money - it's all on show. At certain times the pit lane is opened up to Paddock Club guests - the VIPs, sponsors etc who enjoy the poshest hospitality areas overlooking the track where they are wined and dined through the weekend. I often sit with a coffee at the window in the media centre looking down on the pit lane as they have one of their parades through, people watching. You can see the money dripping off some of these people who are being given the ultimate treat of a close-up look inside the team garages, something most F1 fans can only dream of. (Image: Paul Turner) Silverstone is all about the racing, the drivers and the fans, ultimately. Tens of thousands brave the traffic jams and pour through the entrance gates come for one reason, to enjoy the action and cheer on their heroes. The atmosphere in the stands and the 'village' is outstanding throughout the weekend. But there's another side to Silverstone - where the money flows, deals are done, and privileged people are keen to see and be seen. It's a hugely expensive sport and the money has to come from somewhere. In the paddock is where the people who provide some of that cash - in terms of sponsors and spenders - are entertained, milked you might say. But F1 has always been a glamorous sport, full of beautiful people. And the British Grand Prix, like the Wimbledon Finals, the FA Cup, and Royal Ascot, among others, is one of Britain's premier sporting events. (Image: Paul Turner) It will always be a magnet for the great and the good and the F1 paddock is where they all collect. But, for a plain old F1 fanatic like me, it's a chance to immerse myself in my favourite sport, brush shoulders with the drivers, even ask them a question or two like I have done in the past to the likes of Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Kimi Räikkönen and more. It's my favourite time of the year. When I was a kid disturbing my dad's viewing in the 80s, when Prost and Senna were battling it out on track, I never imagined I would one day get to put questions to the more modern day stars of F1, like Schumacher and Hamilton. I feel incredibly privileged.
News.com.au
26-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Business Events Tasmania: Macquarie Point stadium would give state larger slice of $35 billion conference market
A multi-purpose stadium at Hobart's Macquarie Point would help Tasmania claim a larger slice of the $35 billion national business events market, and transform the state into a premier conference destination, the Tasmanian Planning Commission has heard. Presenting the submission of independent membership organisation Business Events Tasmania on the second day of public hearings into the project, chief executive officer Marnie Craig said the stadium's proposed function facilities would allow Tasmanian to compete for larger and more lucrative conferences involving up to 1500 delegates, from both interstate and overseas. Ms Craig told the hearing that the stadium's value proposition for her industry was further enhanced by the planned proximity of the Good Shed, which offered enormous potential as a trade exhibition space. Referring to claims that the stadium could attract an additional 110 conferences to Tasmania each year, TPC panel chair, Paul Turner SC, asked Ms Craig why organisers of professional and industry 'association conferences' would choose the island state over alternative destinations such as Queensland. 'Tasmania is a very strong destination and has a very strong appeal,' Ms Craig replied. 'Anecdotally, conference organisers tell us that in Australia it's the destination where they see the highest number of delegates … because they're bringing family and friends and having a holiday beyond the conference. 'So while we do have that competitive edge in the marketplace, currently many conferences cannot consider Tasmania because we don't have the infrastructure.' Ms Craig told the TPC hearing the location of the proposed Mac Point stadium satisfied the critical issue of having conference venues located in walkable distance from accommodation facilities, claiming Hobart had approximately 4000 hotel rooms that could be reached on foot from the Evans St site. The Business Events Tasmania boss said the local hospitality sector – already a significant beneficiary of the state's existing conference roster – stood to profit handsomely from any increase in the number and frequency of major corporate meet-ups, particularly those held in tourism's off season. 'When we have conferences of 1100 - which is our absolute capacity - everybody sees it and feels it,' she said. 'So restaurants and bars are regularly telling us … about the contribution they make. 'Association conference delegates are high-yielding, spending around three times that of a leisure visitor, and they often travel in between May and September.' The TPC hearings, which are required as part of the independent assessment of the stadium under Project of State Significance legislation, are being held across multiple dates in June and July. Representatives listed to address the panel over coming weeks include the Federal Group, the Glebe Residents' Association, Cricket Australia and Cricket Tasmania, and Our Place – Hobart. The Australian Football League has made the construction of a roofed stadium at Macquarie Point one of the conditions of its agreement with the state government to add Tasmanian teams to both its men's and women's competitions. The Project of State Significance process, initiated by Premier Jeremy Rockliff in October 2023, is continuing despite subsequent government plans to pass enabling legislation which would effectively halt the TPC's independent assessment of the stadium. Either scenario requires the stadium to be approved by both houses of Tasmania's parliament.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
Rockford man admits to lighting Jaguar Type S on fire, police say
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Rockford Police arrested Paul Turner, 34, for allegedly lighting a car on fire. Officers were called to the 3100 block of Elinore Avenue for reports of a Jaguar Type S on fire on May 1, around 7:30 p.m. Authorities found a melted gasoline can inside the vehicle, according to court records. The owner told officials the car was worth about $8,000. The suspect was already in jail on unrelated charges. Turner admitted to officers that he lit the victim's car on fire because he was upset that the owner of the car had kicked him out of his residence. Turner is charged with arson of personal property. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
BBC News
07-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Ex-Wales fly-half Turner steps down as Ampthill boss
Former Wales fly-half Paul Turner is to step down as head coach of Ampthill at the end of the season after 14 years with the Championship 65-year-old, who won three international caps in the late 1980s, first joined Ampthill in a consultancy role in 2011 and became head coach in previously had coaching jobs with a series of clubs including Gloucester, Harlequins, Newport Gwent Dragons and were in National Three Midlands when Turner arrived, but he steered them up to the second tier of the English game in 2019, and they are currently ninth in the Championship table."With a heavy heart, I have decided to end my role as head coach of this fantastic club. It has been an amazing 14 years," Turner said. "I would particularly like to express my immense gratitude to director of rugby, Mark Lavery. He has provided me with terrific support and help in so many ways, without which our successes would not have been possible."Turner will continue his rugby career as a consultant with Dragons.A club statement said: "Without Paul Turner's leadership, recruitment and technical coaching ability, a club of Ampthill's size and resources would never have reached these heights."And Lavery added: "The impact Paul has had on the club, the town and the district is absolutely incredible. Paul Turner has taken The Mob on a miraculous journey and has demonstrated the great thing about rugby, that dreams do occasionally come true."Ampthill play their next game at home to Nottingham on 22 March.
