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Coles and Woolies shoppers could claim thousands over alleged deceptive pricing

<p>Coles and Woolworths shoppers could claim up to $5,000 if the supermarket giants are found out for deceiving customers with dodgy pricing tactics, according to a leading lawyer. </p> <p>Carter Capner Law is one of two firms investigating whether a class action suit on behalf of shoppers is viable in conjunction with the ACCC's legal action against the two chains. </p> <p>Both Coles and Woolworths have bee accused of violating Australian consumer law by the consumer watchdog after allegedly intentionally misleading customers by driving up prices and then putting those items on sale for their original prices under the "Prices Dropped" and "Down Down" campaigns.</p> <p>“Early estimates suggest that households could claim between $2,000 and $5,000, depending on the amount spent and the impact of the deceptive pricing,” law director Peter Carter said, who began advocating for people after he received an "avalanche of calls from outraged customers".</p> <p>While Carter said the firm initially had no plans to commence a class action, he admitted that after speaking about it to the media, the company were inundated with Coles and Woolworths customers "demanding action and compensation".</p> <p>He believes Australians already doing it tough through the cost of living crisis felt "betrayed" by the supermarkets, while Flinders University research fellow in law Dr Joel Lisk said that the class action is "a positive" for shoppers.</p> <p>"The ACCC proceedings aren't about getting refunds for customers," he told <em>Yahoo</em>. "But if they are successful it would mean customers have, in theory, been misled and deceived and could be entitled to damages."</p> <p>When it comes to damages, it's something Dr Lisk said "starts to add up" for customers, although it's "hard to say" if financial penalties to businesses found guilty of wrongdoing would impact misleading and deceptive conduct in the future.</p> <p>"If [fines are] seen as just the cost of doing business it doesn't really dissuade businesses from engaging in misleading and deceptive conduct," he said.</p> <p>"Seeking damages from business for the losses that individuals like us have incurred is one way of doing that. But of course, we're talking probably about dollars and cents in transactions when businesses like Coles and Woolworths deal in the billions."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p>

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Romance fraud doesn’t only happen online – it can turn into real-world deception

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/cassandra-cross-122865">Cassandra Cross</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/queensland-university-of-technology-847">Queensland University of Technology</a></em></p> <p>We often think of fraudsters as people on the opposite side of the world. They will manipulate and exploit victims through words on a computer screen, or loving messages through the phone. But romance fraud can also happen in person, with the fraudster sleeping in the bed beside you.</p> <p>This was the circumstance Australian writer Stephanie Wood found herself in. It’s also the basis for the new <a href="https://www.paramountanz.com.au/news/fake-breaks-subscription-and-streaming-records-on-paramount/">television series Fake</a>, currently screening on Paramount+. A dramatisation of Wood’s powerful memoir by the same name, the series outlines the many lies and betrayals of an intimate relationship.</p> <p>It’s a brutal insight into the world of deception which characterises romance fraud.</p> <h2>When love hurts</h2> <p>Romance fraud (or romance scams) is what it sounds like – offenders use the guise of a relationship to gain a financial reward. In most cases, it’s through the direct transfer of money from the victim, but it can also be through using personal credentials to commit identity crimes.</p> <p>From the outside, it’s hard to understand how romance fraud is so effective. However, <a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/233966/">research has documented</a> the range of grooming techniques, social engineering tactics and methods of psychological abuse deployed by offenders. Offenders know exactly what to do and say to gain the compliance of their victim.</p> <hr /> <hr /> <p>Offenders target a person’s vulnerability and work hard to build strong levels of trust. There are endless calls, texts and emails that create a bond. Then follows the inevitable “crisis”, whereby the offender needs money urgently for a health emergency, criminal justice situation, business need or even a <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/romance-baiting-scams-on-the-rise">cryptocurrency investment</a> opportunity.</p> <p>For many, this can result in ongoing payments and substantial losses. Over <a href="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">A$200 million</a> was reported lost by Australians to this fraud type in 2023, but this is likely a gross underestimation of actual figures. It also doesn’t capture the many <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/29-1314-FinalReport.pdf">non-financial harms</a>, including physical and emotional declines in wellbeing.</p> <p>When the relationship finally ends, it’s too late. The money is gone, the extent of the deception is laid bare, and recovery from the heartache and loss is a constant battle.</p> <p>There is a well-documented “<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1748895815603773">double hit</a>” of victimisation, with individuals needing to grieve the relationship as well as any financial losses.</p> <h2>Seeing is not believing</h2> <p>There are countless incidents of romance fraud where the offender and victim never meet: the deception takes place entirely online. But it’s important to know fraudsters also operate in person.</p> <p>Wood’s memoir details an extraordinary level of lies and dishonesty presented to her throughout her relationship. Stories that laid the groundwork for later fabrications. Stories that were deliberate and calculated in how they were used to gain her trust, and later used against her.</p> <p>The motivations of these real-world deceivers are not always straightforward. Often it’s about money, but not always. For Wood, not being asked for money allayed potential suspicions, but it didn’t reduce her feelings of loss and emotional devastation upon discovering the extent of the lies.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/K_1Akqhjy6M?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>Wood is by no means alone in her experience. Marketing executive Tracy Hall endured a similarly sophisticated and all-encompassing level of deceit in her relationship with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jun/20/conman-hamish-mclaren-jailed-for-up-to-16-years-after-swindling-76m-from-victims">convicted conman Hamish McLaren</a> (known to her as Max Tavita).</p> <p>In her book, <a href="https://tracyhall.com.au/the-last-victim">The Last Victim</a>, Hall recounts snippets of their daily lives over a 16-month period, with McLaren portraying himself as a successful professional in finance. His mail was addressed to Max Tavita and his phone conversations were with real people. Yet his whole identity and the world he represented to Hall was a complete fabrication.</p> <p>The experiences of Wood and Hall highlight the sheer depth of elaborate deception that can be perpetrated in an intimate relationship. Critically, it highlights romance fraud isn’t relegated to an online environment.</p> <h2>How can we prevent romance fraud?</h2> <p>There is an overwhelming amount of <a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/83702/">shame and stigma</a> associated with romance fraud. The dynamics of these deceptive relationships are misunderstood, and this perpetuates negative stereotypes and a discourse of victim blaming, even from friends and family.</p> <p>In hindsight, the warning signs might seem obvious, but fraudsters tend to effectively disguise these in real time and deploy deliberate tactics to overcome any suspicion.</p> <p>We must all create a culture that empowers victims to come forward to raise awareness. This isn’t intended to create fear or anxiety, but to normalise the threat fraud poses, and to allow for difficult conversations if it happens. Ongoing silence from victims only favours the offender.</p> <h2>How to protect yourself from romance fraud</h2> <p>It’s inevitable we’ll continue to swipe right in our efforts to find love. But keep a healthy level of scepticism and an open dialogue with family and friends in any quest for a new relationship.</p> <p>Don’t be afraid to conduct your own searches of people, places and situations presented to you in a relationship. There is a memorable moment in Fake where the protagonist refutes her friend’s offer of assistance, saying “this is a love story not an investigation”. Sadly, sometimes an investigation is necessary.</p> <p>No matter what the circumstance or the person, think carefully before sending any money. Only give what you are willing to lose.</p> <p>Deception comes in many forms. We must recognise it for what it is, and the impact it has on victims. But we must also not give into those who lie, and let them define who we are or dictate our ability to trust.</p> <p><em>If you or someone you know has been a victim of romance fraud, you can report it to <a href="https://www.cyber.gov.au/report-and-recover/report">ReportCyber</a>. For support, contact <a href="https://www.idcare.org/">iDcare</a>. For prevention advice, consult <a href="https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/">Scamwatch</a>.</em><!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/237653/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/cassandra-cross-122865"><em>Cassandra Cross</em></a><em>, Associate Dean (Learning &amp; Teaching) Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/queensland-university-of-technology-847">Queensland University of Technology</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/romance-fraud-doesnt-only-happen-online-it-can-turn-into-real-world-deception-237653">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

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Woman devastated after being left at the altar by partner of 10 years

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> <p>A bride who was left at the altar has revealed how her partner of 10 years said he was running late in an Uber and then failed to show up to the wedding.</p> <p>Sasha Aristide, 29, said she has been left "in shock" after her partner Kevin Hyppolite, 30, bailed on their big day before they were meant to be married in front of 125 guests.</p> <p>She spoke to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.real-fix.com/real-fix-podcast/" target="_blank" class="editor-rtflink"><em>Real Fix</em></a> about the experience.</p> <p>“I had no clue whatsoever that he was not planning to show up or having cold feet," she explained.</p> <p>“I spoke to him the night before, he literally said, “I love you I can’t wait to marry you.”</p> <p>“We were talking the whole day. I realised at 2.30 pm and at that point I didn’t have any emotions. I was so numb and in shock.</p> <p>“I felt like I was in a trance.”</p> <p>The pair began planning the wedding after Kevin proposed in December 2017, but he got cold feet.</p> <p>Sasha has the gift of hindsight, as she realised something wasn't right after an odd call from her florist.</p> <p>“My florist called me and told me that the venue had not allowed her in to set up the flowers,” she explained.</p> <p>“I called Kevin and he told me he was running late.</p> <p>“I didn’t worry because the ceremony wasn’t until 5pm, with a drinks reception before.</p> <p>“But then at 1.30pm, one of my bridesmaids told me that her brother had called the venue asking for the address and he had been told that there was no wedding scheduled for today.</p> <p>“Alarm bells went off in my head.”</p> <p>It was only after guests started arriving that Sasha was informed that the venue had not received the full payment for the wedding.</p> <p>Despite her and her family's best efforts to track down Kevin, he couldn't be found and said his Uber was delayed.</p> <p>“To the last minute, he said he was coming, he told me he was on his way.</p> <p>“He kept lying the whole time.”</p> <p>A couple of weeks after the wedding, Sasha revealed that Kevin had reached out to her.</p> <p>“I had no intentions of getting back with him.</p> <p>“Anyone who would do that to you definitely does not love you or care about you.</p> <p>“I cut off all connections with him.”</p> <p>Kevin admitted that he didn't show up to the wedding, but said "something personal" had happened which prevented him from attending.</p> <p>“It wasn’t intentional, it wasn’t planned, it just happened that way.”</p> <p>Sasha is now focusing on adjusting to life as a single woman and wants to start a family in the future.</p> </div> </div> </div>

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Health ratings fail: Research reveals food star ratings are deceptive

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Research has revealed some of Australia’s favourite cereals are not as good for us as they are made out to be. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Australian not for profit consumer organisation, CHOICE says when the added sugar in food is properly accounted for, Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain and Nestle’s Milo cereal lose 2.5 of their four heath rating stars. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The consumer advocacy group is pushing for an overall of Australia’s health star rating systems for food and says customers don’t get the full picture when it comes to added sugar. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The health star rating system was introduced as a way to give consumers the ability to compare similar products and make a healthier choice more easily. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However CHOICE believes the system must be changed so products with added sugar can be penalised as it has been revealed Australia’s top-selling breakfast cereals can lose up to four stars when the added sugar is considered. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Right now, the health star rating algorithm treats all sugars the same,” CHOICE food expert Linda Przhedetsky told </span><a href="https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/food/food-star-ratings-fail-on-sugar-choice-c-182711"><span style="font-weight: 400;">7 News.</span></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It doesn't distinguish between extra sugar that's added to foods like breakfast cereals and naturally occurring sugars in dairy or fruits.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We're calling for health ministers to introduce added sugar labelling on all packaged foods and to ensure that added sugar is more heavily penalised.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The advocacy group has called for the health stars system to become a requirement for all foods and drinks as well as a guarantee that industries are not influencing the policies around food labelling. </span></p>

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