Latest news with #Scamwatch
The Advertiser
14 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Has someone asked to 'rent' your bank account?
Don't let cybercriminals turn your bank account into a money mule. That's the warning from authorities who have issued a major alert to bank customers, some of whom have been taking payments of as little as $200 to share their details. Money mules are people who are knowingly or unknowingly recruited by criminal syndicates to transfer illicit money in and out of their personal accounts, making it appear legitimate. As more criminal networks seek ways to launder their ill-gotten gains, they are open to paying money mules anything from $200 to $500 to help out. But taking that "commission" can lead to serious legal consequences, like life in prison. "It is illegal to rent, buy or sell bank accounts, and doing so supports the criminal ecosystem," Australian Federal Police Detective Superintendent Marie Andersson said on Tuesday. "Your account may be housing money derived from scams, extortion, drug trafficking and terrorism." The warning comes after a 26-year-old Sydney woman was jailed for 21 months in April for renting 10 bank accounts to a Vietnamese money laundering syndicate. The syndicate used mules in Sydney and Melbourne to pick up and deposit cash through ATMs and into bank accounts. This mule regularly changed her clothes and wore wigs and sunglasses to conceal her identity from ATM cameras during the deposits. The 10 accounts she used laundered $3.8 million in proceeds of crime, which was transferred overseas. In 2024, around $142 million was lost to scammers through bank transfers in Australia, according to Scamwatch. Criminals target mules through social media, messaging or gaming platforms, online advertisements and chat forums. Common methods include employment scams, where people are promised quick and easy money for transferring funds into their bank accounts. Others are threat scams, where victims are threatened with criminal charges and arrest unless they transfer funds. There are also romance scams, where the criminals build an online relationship with a person before asking for personal bank account details or to transfer money Money mules are increasingly being asked to move funds through cryptocurrency and global money transfer apps, which can be faster and more discreet. "Renting or selling your bank account may seem harmless, but you may be unwittingly helping a scammer to rip off a family member or someone else you know," Australian Banking Association CEO Anna Bligh said. "Don't let criminals cash in on your bank account." Money laundering is a serious criminal offence with charges carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Don't let cybercriminals turn your bank account into a money mule. That's the warning from authorities who have issued a major alert to bank customers, some of whom have been taking payments of as little as $200 to share their details. Money mules are people who are knowingly or unknowingly recruited by criminal syndicates to transfer illicit money in and out of their personal accounts, making it appear legitimate. As more criminal networks seek ways to launder their ill-gotten gains, they are open to paying money mules anything from $200 to $500 to help out. But taking that "commission" can lead to serious legal consequences, like life in prison. "It is illegal to rent, buy or sell bank accounts, and doing so supports the criminal ecosystem," Australian Federal Police Detective Superintendent Marie Andersson said on Tuesday. "Your account may be housing money derived from scams, extortion, drug trafficking and terrorism." The warning comes after a 26-year-old Sydney woman was jailed for 21 months in April for renting 10 bank accounts to a Vietnamese money laundering syndicate. The syndicate used mules in Sydney and Melbourne to pick up and deposit cash through ATMs and into bank accounts. This mule regularly changed her clothes and wore wigs and sunglasses to conceal her identity from ATM cameras during the deposits. The 10 accounts she used laundered $3.8 million in proceeds of crime, which was transferred overseas. In 2024, around $142 million was lost to scammers through bank transfers in Australia, according to Scamwatch. Criminals target mules through social media, messaging or gaming platforms, online advertisements and chat forums. Common methods include employment scams, where people are promised quick and easy money for transferring funds into their bank accounts. Others are threat scams, where victims are threatened with criminal charges and arrest unless they transfer funds. There are also romance scams, where the criminals build an online relationship with a person before asking for personal bank account details or to transfer money Money mules are increasingly being asked to move funds through cryptocurrency and global money transfer apps, which can be faster and more discreet. "Renting or selling your bank account may seem harmless, but you may be unwittingly helping a scammer to rip off a family member or someone else you know," Australian Banking Association CEO Anna Bligh said. "Don't let criminals cash in on your bank account." Money laundering is a serious criminal offence with charges carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Don't let cybercriminals turn your bank account into a money mule. That's the warning from authorities who have issued a major alert to bank customers, some of whom have been taking payments of as little as $200 to share their details. Money mules are people who are knowingly or unknowingly recruited by criminal syndicates to transfer illicit money in and out of their personal accounts, making it appear legitimate. As more criminal networks seek ways to launder their ill-gotten gains, they are open to paying money mules anything from $200 to $500 to help out. But taking that "commission" can lead to serious legal consequences, like life in prison. "It is illegal to rent, buy or sell bank accounts, and doing so supports the criminal ecosystem," Australian Federal Police Detective Superintendent Marie Andersson said on Tuesday. "Your account may be housing money derived from scams, extortion, drug trafficking and terrorism." The warning comes after a 26-year-old Sydney woman was jailed for 21 months in April for renting 10 bank accounts to a Vietnamese money laundering syndicate. The syndicate used mules in Sydney and Melbourne to pick up and deposit cash through ATMs and into bank accounts. This mule regularly changed her clothes and wore wigs and sunglasses to conceal her identity from ATM cameras during the deposits. The 10 accounts she used laundered $3.8 million in proceeds of crime, which was transferred overseas. In 2024, around $142 million was lost to scammers through bank transfers in Australia, according to Scamwatch. Criminals target mules through social media, messaging or gaming platforms, online advertisements and chat forums. Common methods include employment scams, where people are promised quick and easy money for transferring funds into their bank accounts. Others are threat scams, where victims are threatened with criminal charges and arrest unless they transfer funds. There are also romance scams, where the criminals build an online relationship with a person before asking for personal bank account details or to transfer money Money mules are increasingly being asked to move funds through cryptocurrency and global money transfer apps, which can be faster and more discreet. "Renting or selling your bank account may seem harmless, but you may be unwittingly helping a scammer to rip off a family member or someone else you know," Australian Banking Association CEO Anna Bligh said. "Don't let criminals cash in on your bank account." Money laundering is a serious criminal offence with charges carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Don't let cybercriminals turn your bank account into a money mule. That's the warning from authorities who have issued a major alert to bank customers, some of whom have been taking payments of as little as $200 to share their details. Money mules are people who are knowingly or unknowingly recruited by criminal syndicates to transfer illicit money in and out of their personal accounts, making it appear legitimate. As more criminal networks seek ways to launder their ill-gotten gains, they are open to paying money mules anything from $200 to $500 to help out. But taking that "commission" can lead to serious legal consequences, like life in prison. "It is illegal to rent, buy or sell bank accounts, and doing so supports the criminal ecosystem," Australian Federal Police Detective Superintendent Marie Andersson said on Tuesday. "Your account may be housing money derived from scams, extortion, drug trafficking and terrorism." The warning comes after a 26-year-old Sydney woman was jailed for 21 months in April for renting 10 bank accounts to a Vietnamese money laundering syndicate. The syndicate used mules in Sydney and Melbourne to pick up and deposit cash through ATMs and into bank accounts. This mule regularly changed her clothes and wore wigs and sunglasses to conceal her identity from ATM cameras during the deposits. The 10 accounts she used laundered $3.8 million in proceeds of crime, which was transferred overseas. In 2024, around $142 million was lost to scammers through bank transfers in Australia, according to Scamwatch. Criminals target mules through social media, messaging or gaming platforms, online advertisements and chat forums. Common methods include employment scams, where people are promised quick and easy money for transferring funds into their bank accounts. Others are threat scams, where victims are threatened with criminal charges and arrest unless they transfer funds. There are also romance scams, where the criminals build an online relationship with a person before asking for personal bank account details or to transfer money Money mules are increasingly being asked to move funds through cryptocurrency and global money transfer apps, which can be faster and more discreet. "Renting or selling your bank account may seem harmless, but you may be unwittingly helping a scammer to rip off a family member or someone else you know," Australian Banking Association CEO Anna Bligh said. "Don't let criminals cash in on your bank account." Money laundering is a serious criminal offence with charges carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Perth Now
16 hours ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Has someone asked to 'rent' your bank account?
Last year, around $142 million was lost to scammers through bank transfers in Australia. (Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS) Last year, around $142 million was lost to scammers through bank transfers in Australia. (Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS) Credit: AAP Don't let cybercriminals turn your bank account into a money mule. That's the warning from authorities who have issued a major alert to bank customers, some of whom have been taking payments of as little as $200 to share their details. Money mules are people who are knowingly or unknowingly recruited by criminal syndicates to transfer illicit money in and out of their personal accounts, making it appear legitimate. As more criminal networks seek ways to launder their ill-gotten gains, they are open to paying money mules anything from $200 to $500 to help out. But taking that "commission" can lead to serious legal consequences, like life in prison. "It is illegal to rent, buy or sell bank accounts, and doing so supports the criminal ecosystem," Australian Federal Police Detective Superintendent Marie Andersson said on Tuesday. "Your account may be housing money derived from scams, extortion, drug trafficking and terrorism." The warning comes after a 26-year-old Sydney woman was jailed for 21 months in April for renting 10 bank accounts to a Vietnamese money laundering syndicate. The syndicate used mules in Sydney and Melbourne to pick up and deposit cash through ATMs and into bank accounts. This mule regularly changed her clothes and wore wigs and sunglasses to conceal her identity from ATM cameras during the deposits. The 10 accounts she used laundered $3.8 million in proceeds of crime, which was transferred overseas. In 2024, around $142 million was lost to scammers through bank transfers in Australia, according to Scamwatch. Criminals target mules through social media, messaging or gaming platforms, online advertisements and chat forums. Common methods include employment scams, where people are promised quick and easy money for transferring funds into their bank accounts. Others are threat scams, where victims are threatened with criminal charges and arrest unless they transfer funds. There are also romance scams, where the criminals build an online relationship with a person before asking for personal bank account details or to transfer money Money mules are increasingly being asked to move funds through cryptocurrency and global money transfer apps, which can be faster and more discreet. "Renting or selling your bank account may seem harmless, but you may be unwittingly helping a scammer to rip off a family member or someone else you know," Australian Banking Association CEO Anna Bligh said. "Don't let criminals cash in on your bank account." Money laundering is a serious criminal offence with charges carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
1News
04-07-2025
- Business
- 1News
Qantas cyber attack: Culprits and motive unknown
A major Australian airline will soon be able to tell the six million customers whose data was stolen by cyber criminals exactly what type of personal information was harvested. In an update on Friday, Qantas also said the group believed responsible for the incident remained unclear and that it had not received a ransom request. The hack, revealed earlier this week, occurred on a third-party system used by a call centre working for Qantas. Sensitive data such as credit card details, personal financial information, passport details and Qantas Frequent Flyer accounts were not exposed. But millions of customers did have names, dates of birth, and email addresses stolen. ADVERTISEMENT Asked by 1News whether any New Zealanders were affected, the airline would only say the "majority" of affected customers were in Australia. Qantas next week will contact customers individually to tell them exactly what type of personal data was "contained in the system" or compromised. "I want to apologise again for the uncertainty this has caused," chief executive Vanessa Hudson said in a statement. "We're committed to keeping our affected customers informed with regular updates as our investigation progresses." Qantas, which continues to work with the government authorities to investigate the incident, reaffirmed that there has been no further threat in the system and that it remains secure. Multiple cyber experts believe the group responsible for the attack is called Scattered Spider, a cabal of young cyber criminals living in the US and the UK. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation recently warned that the group was targeting the airline sector by impersonating legitimate users to bypass multi-factor authentication and access systems. ADVERTISEMENT Airlines such as America's Hawaiian Airlines and Westjet have faced cyber attacks in the past fortnight. Qantas has rolled out additional security measures to counteract any more potential threats and increase detection. These include more security measures for frequent flyer accounts by introducing "additional identification" for account changes. "We are treating this incredibly seriously and have implemented additional security measures to further strengthen our systems," Hudson said. "Our customers can be assured that we have the right expertise and resources dedicated to resolving this matter thoroughly and effectively." Qantas also warned scammers are already impersonating the airline in the wake of the attack and told customers to be vigilant. The airline will never contact customers requesting passwords, booking reference details or sensitive login information. ADVERTISEMENT "If customers do receive any suspicious emails, text messages or calls from someone purporting to be Qantas you can report this via our dedicated support line, Scamwatch, or contact local authorities," it said. In the wake of the hack, Qantas has received more than 5000 customer enquiries. Meanwhile, legal experts suggest the incident could lead to a class action against Qantas, after compensation claims were made against Optus and Medibank after major breaches in 2022.
7NEWS
04-07-2025
- Business
- 7NEWS
Urgent warning to shoppers about online ‘ghost stores' scamming unsuspecting Aussies
Aussie shoppers are being warned about online 'ghost stores', which are scams enticing customers to buy heavily discounted products from non-existent shops. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) received more than 360 complaints about 60 retailers that operate as ghost stores in this year alone. The ACCC alleges ghost stores operate by claiming to be a local Aussie business claiming to see high-quality items, often in a closing down sale, offering bargain prices. However, they instead offer low-quality items. Appearing on Sunrise on Friday, retail expert Gary Mortimer explained the goods are often just shipped from China, India, Pakistan or Bangladesh, or other countries with a large textile base. 'They're really difficult to identify,' Mortimer said. 'I guess the first one is there is no physical location. So, having a brand name with the words Sydney, Melbourne, Byron Bay or Adelaide in it. When you go to Google Maps you will find the brand doesn't have a physical location. 'You will notice on the website has no phone number only email address or a box that you can ask questions from. You can take the brand name and put it into the ABN search. 'You will realise quickly it doesn't have an Australian business number or alternatively put it into Scamwatch to see what Scamwatch detects, whether it's a dodgy site or not.' The commission specifically issued public warning notices about and Ghost stores also refuse refunds or only offer partial refunds to consumers who complain about the inferior quality of the goods compared to what is advertised, or do not respond to complaints at all. Mortimer said to be careful if the prices are too good to be true. 'They also seem to put big sales on,' he said. 'They infer its Italian shows or a French-made product. 'They use story telling. there will be an AI image. They're low cost. Significant savings.'
The Advertiser
04-07-2025
- The Advertiser
No ransom request after Qantas cyber attack
A major airline will soon be able to tell the six million customers whose data was stolen by cyber criminals exactly what type of personal information was harvested. In an update on Friday, Qantas also said the group believed responsible for the incident remained unclear and that it had not received a ransom request. The hack, revealed earlier this week, occurred on a third-party system used by a call centre working for Qantas. Sensitive data such as credit card details, personal financial information, passport details and Qantas Frequent Flyer accounts were not exposed. But millions of customers did have names, dates of birth, and email addresses stolen. Qantas will next week will contact customers individually to tell them exactly what type of personal data was "contained in the system", or compromised. "I want to apologise again for the uncertainty this has caused," chief executive Vanessa Hudson said in a statement. "We're committed to keeping our affected customers informed with regular updates as our investigation progresses." Qantas, which continues to work with the government authorities to investigate the incident, reaffirmed that there has been no further threat in the system and that it remains secure. Multiple cyber experts believe the group responsible for the attack is called Scattered Spider, a cabal of young cyber criminals living in the US and the UK. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation recently warned that the group was targeting the airline sector by impersonating legitimate users to bypass multi-factor authentication and access systems. Airlines such as America's Hawaiian Airlines and Westjet have faced cyber attacks in the past fortnight. Qantas has rolled out additional security measures to counteract any more potential threats and increase detection. These include more security measures for frequent flyer accounts by introducing "additional identification" for account changes. "We are treating this incredibly seriously and have implemented additional security measures to further strengthen our systems," Ms Hudson said. "Our customers can be assured that we have the right expertise and resources dedicated to resolving this matter thoroughly and effectively." Qantas also warned scammers are already impersonating the airline in the wake of the attack and told customers to be vigilant. The airline will never contact customers requesting passwords, booking reference details or sensitive login information. "If customers do receive any suspicious emails, text messages or calls from someone purporting to be Qantas you can report this via our dedicated support line, Scamwatch, or contact local authorities," it said. In the wake of the hack, Qantas has received more than 5000 customer enquiries. Meanwhile, legal experts suggest the incident could lead to a class action against Qantas, after compensation claims were made against Optus and Medibank after major breaches in 2022. Qantas customer support line: 1800 971 541 or +61 2 8028 0534 A major airline will soon be able to tell the six million customers whose data was stolen by cyber criminals exactly what type of personal information was harvested. In an update on Friday, Qantas also said the group believed responsible for the incident remained unclear and that it had not received a ransom request. The hack, revealed earlier this week, occurred on a third-party system used by a call centre working for Qantas. Sensitive data such as credit card details, personal financial information, passport details and Qantas Frequent Flyer accounts were not exposed. But millions of customers did have names, dates of birth, and email addresses stolen. Qantas will next week will contact customers individually to tell them exactly what type of personal data was "contained in the system", or compromised. "I want to apologise again for the uncertainty this has caused," chief executive Vanessa Hudson said in a statement. "We're committed to keeping our affected customers informed with regular updates as our investigation progresses." Qantas, which continues to work with the government authorities to investigate the incident, reaffirmed that there has been no further threat in the system and that it remains secure. Multiple cyber experts believe the group responsible for the attack is called Scattered Spider, a cabal of young cyber criminals living in the US and the UK. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation recently warned that the group was targeting the airline sector by impersonating legitimate users to bypass multi-factor authentication and access systems. Airlines such as America's Hawaiian Airlines and Westjet have faced cyber attacks in the past fortnight. Qantas has rolled out additional security measures to counteract any more potential threats and increase detection. These include more security measures for frequent flyer accounts by introducing "additional identification" for account changes. "We are treating this incredibly seriously and have implemented additional security measures to further strengthen our systems," Ms Hudson said. "Our customers can be assured that we have the right expertise and resources dedicated to resolving this matter thoroughly and effectively." Qantas also warned scammers are already impersonating the airline in the wake of the attack and told customers to be vigilant. The airline will never contact customers requesting passwords, booking reference details or sensitive login information. "If customers do receive any suspicious emails, text messages or calls from someone purporting to be Qantas you can report this via our dedicated support line, Scamwatch, or contact local authorities," it said. In the wake of the hack, Qantas has received more than 5000 customer enquiries. Meanwhile, legal experts suggest the incident could lead to a class action against Qantas, after compensation claims were made against Optus and Medibank after major breaches in 2022. Qantas customer support line: 1800 971 541 or +61 2 8028 0534 A major airline will soon be able to tell the six million customers whose data was stolen by cyber criminals exactly what type of personal information was harvested. In an update on Friday, Qantas also said the group believed responsible for the incident remained unclear and that it had not received a ransom request. The hack, revealed earlier this week, occurred on a third-party system used by a call centre working for Qantas. Sensitive data such as credit card details, personal financial information, passport details and Qantas Frequent Flyer accounts were not exposed. But millions of customers did have names, dates of birth, and email addresses stolen. Qantas will next week will contact customers individually to tell them exactly what type of personal data was "contained in the system", or compromised. "I want to apologise again for the uncertainty this has caused," chief executive Vanessa Hudson said in a statement. "We're committed to keeping our affected customers informed with regular updates as our investigation progresses." Qantas, which continues to work with the government authorities to investigate the incident, reaffirmed that there has been no further threat in the system and that it remains secure. Multiple cyber experts believe the group responsible for the attack is called Scattered Spider, a cabal of young cyber criminals living in the US and the UK. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation recently warned that the group was targeting the airline sector by impersonating legitimate users to bypass multi-factor authentication and access systems. Airlines such as America's Hawaiian Airlines and Westjet have faced cyber attacks in the past fortnight. Qantas has rolled out additional security measures to counteract any more potential threats and increase detection. These include more security measures for frequent flyer accounts by introducing "additional identification" for account changes. "We are treating this incredibly seriously and have implemented additional security measures to further strengthen our systems," Ms Hudson said. "Our customers can be assured that we have the right expertise and resources dedicated to resolving this matter thoroughly and effectively." Qantas also warned scammers are already impersonating the airline in the wake of the attack and told customers to be vigilant. The airline will never contact customers requesting passwords, booking reference details or sensitive login information. "If customers do receive any suspicious emails, text messages or calls from someone purporting to be Qantas you can report this via our dedicated support line, Scamwatch, or contact local authorities," it said. In the wake of the hack, Qantas has received more than 5000 customer enquiries. Meanwhile, legal experts suggest the incident could lead to a class action against Qantas, after compensation claims were made against Optus and Medibank after major breaches in 2022. Qantas customer support line: 1800 971 541 or +61 2 8028 0534 A major airline will soon be able to tell the six million customers whose data was stolen by cyber criminals exactly what type of personal information was harvested. In an update on Friday, Qantas also said the group believed responsible for the incident remained unclear and that it had not received a ransom request. The hack, revealed earlier this week, occurred on a third-party system used by a call centre working for Qantas. Sensitive data such as credit card details, personal financial information, passport details and Qantas Frequent Flyer accounts were not exposed. But millions of customers did have names, dates of birth, and email addresses stolen. Qantas will next week will contact customers individually to tell them exactly what type of personal data was "contained in the system", or compromised. "I want to apologise again for the uncertainty this has caused," chief executive Vanessa Hudson said in a statement. "We're committed to keeping our affected customers informed with regular updates as our investigation progresses." Qantas, which continues to work with the government authorities to investigate the incident, reaffirmed that there has been no further threat in the system and that it remains secure. Multiple cyber experts believe the group responsible for the attack is called Scattered Spider, a cabal of young cyber criminals living in the US and the UK. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation recently warned that the group was targeting the airline sector by impersonating legitimate users to bypass multi-factor authentication and access systems. Airlines such as America's Hawaiian Airlines and Westjet have faced cyber attacks in the past fortnight. Qantas has rolled out additional security measures to counteract any more potential threats and increase detection. These include more security measures for frequent flyer accounts by introducing "additional identification" for account changes. "We are treating this incredibly seriously and have implemented additional security measures to further strengthen our systems," Ms Hudson said. "Our customers can be assured that we have the right expertise and resources dedicated to resolving this matter thoroughly and effectively." Qantas also warned scammers are already impersonating the airline in the wake of the attack and told customers to be vigilant. The airline will never contact customers requesting passwords, booking reference details or sensitive login information. "If customers do receive any suspicious emails, text messages or calls from someone purporting to be Qantas you can report this via our dedicated support line, Scamwatch, or contact local authorities," it said. In the wake of the hack, Qantas has received more than 5000 customer enquiries. Meanwhile, legal experts suggest the incident could lead to a class action against Qantas, after compensation claims were made against Optus and Medibank after major breaches in 2022. Qantas customer support line: 1800 971 541 or +61 2 8028 0534
