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Australians lose $5,200 a minute to scammers. There’s a simple thing the government could do to reduce this. Why won’t they?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-martin-682709">Peter Martin</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/crawford-school-of-public-policy-australian-national-university-3292">Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University</a></em></p> <p>What if the government was doing everything it could to stop thieves making off with our money, except the one thing that could really work?</p> <p>That’s how it looks when it comes to <a href="https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/types-of-scams">scams</a>, which are attempts to trick us out of our funds, usually by getting us to hand over our identities or bank details or transfer funds.</p> <p>Last year we lost an astonishing <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/scam-losses-decline-but-more-work-to-do-as-australians-lose-27-billion">A$2.74 billion</a> to scammers. That’s more than $5,200 per minute – and that’s only the scams we know about from the 601,000 Australians who made reports. Many more would have kept quiet.</p> <p>If the theft of $5,200 per minute seems over the odds for a country Australia’s size, a comparison with the United Kingdom suggests you are right. In 2022, people in the UK lost <a href="https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/system/files/2023-05/Annual%20Fraud%20Report%202023_0.pdf">£2,300</a> per minute, which is about A$4,400. The UK has two and a half times Australia’s population.</p> <p>It’s as if international scammers, using SMS, phone calls, fake invoices and fake web addresses are targeting Australia, because in other places it’s harder.</p> <p>If we want to cut Australians’ losses, it’s time to look at rules about to come into force in the UK.</p> <h2>Scams up 320% since 2020</h2> <p>The current federal government is doing a lot – <em>almost</em> everything it could. Within a year of taking office, it set up the <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/national-anti-scam-centre">National Anti-Scam Centre</a>, which coordinates intelligence. Just this week, the centre reported that figure of $2.74 billion, which is down 13% on 2022, but up 50% on 2021 and 320% on 2020.</p> <p>It’s planning “<a href="https://treasury.gov.au/consultation/c2023-464732">mandatory industry codes</a>” for banks, telecommunication providers and digital platforms.</p> <p>But the code it is proposing for banks, set out in a <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-11/c2023-464732-cp.pdf">consultation paper</a> late last year, is weak when compared to overseas.</p> <h2>Banks are the gatekeepers</h2> <p>Banks matter, because they are nearly always the means by which the money is transferred. Cryptocurrency is now much less used after the banks agreed to limit payments to high risk exchanges.</p> <p>Here’s an example of the role played by banks. A woman the Consumer Action Law Centre is calling <a href="https://consumeraction.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Joint-submission-CALC-CHOICE-ACCAN-31012024-Scams-Mandatory-code-treasury-consultA.pdf">Amelia</a> tried to sell a breast pump on Gumtree.</p> <p>The buyer asked for her bank card number and a one-time PIN and used the code to whisk out $9,100, which was sent overseas. The bank wouldn’t help because she had provided the one-time PIN.</p> <p>Here’s another. A woman the Competition and Consumer Commission is calling <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/Targeting%20scams%202022.pdf">Niamh</a> was contacted by someone using the National Australia Bank’s SMS ID. Niamh was told her account was compromised and talked through how to transfer $300,000 to a “secure” account.</p> <p>After she had done it, the scammer told her it was a scam, laughed and said “we are in Brisbane, come find me”.</p> <h2>How bank rules protect scammers</h2> <p>And one more example. Former University of Melbourne academic <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/377766055_Scams_Blaming_the_Victims">Kim Sawyer</a> (that’s his real name, he is prepared to go public) clicked on an ad for “St George Capital” displaying the dragon logo of St. George Bank.</p> <p>He was called back by a man using the name of a real St. George employee, who persuaded him to transfer funds from accounts at the AMP, Citibank and Macquarie to accounts he was told would be in his and his wife’s name at Westpac, ANZ, the Commonwealth and Bendigo Banks.</p> <p>They lost <a href="https://www.afr.com/wealth/personal-finance/i-lost-2-5m-of-my-super-to-scammers-20240423-p5flzp">$2.5 million</a>. Sawyer says none of the banks – those that sent the funds or those that received them – would help him. Some cited “<a href="https://www.choice.com.au/money/financial-planning-and-investing/stock-market-investing/articles/st-george-capital-investment-scam">privacy</a>” reasons.</p> <p>The Consumer Action Law Centre says the banks that transfer the scammed funds routinely tell their customers “it’s nothing to do with us, you transferred the money, we can’t help you”. The banks receiving the funds routinely say “you’re not our customer, we can’t help you”.</p> <p>That’s here. Not in the UK.</p> <h2>UK bank customers get a better deal</h2> <p>In Australia in 2022, only <a href="https://download.asic.gov.au/media/mbhoz0pc/rep761-published-20-april-2023.pdf">13%</a> of attempted scam payments were stopped by banks before they took place. Once scammed, only 2% to 5% of losses (depending on the bank) were reimbursed or compensated.</p> <p>In <a href="https://www.psr.org.uk/information-for-consumers/app-fraud-performance-data/">the UK</a>, the top four banks pay out 49% to 73%.</p> <p>And they are about to pay out much more. From October 2024, reimbursement will be compulsory. Where authorised fast payments are made “because of deception by fraudsters”, the banks will have to reimburse <a href="https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en-us/posts/investigation-fraud-and-risk/app-fraud-uk">the lot</a>.</p> <p>Normally the bills will be split <a href="https://www.psr.org.uk/news-and-updates/latest-news/news/psr-confirms-new-requirements-for-app-fraud-reimbursement/">50:50</a> between the bank transferring the funds and the bank receiving them. Unless there’s a need for further investigations, the payments must be made within five days.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.psr.org.uk/media/as3a0xan/sr1-consumer-standard-of-caution-guidance-dec-2023.pdf">only exceptions</a> are where the consumer seeking reimbursement has acted fraudulently or with gross negligence.</p> <p>The idea behind the change – pushed through by the Conservative government now led by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak – is that if scams are the banks’ problem, if they are costing them millions at a time, they’ll stop them.</p> <p><a href="https://www.thepost.co.nz/business/350197309/banks-given-fraud-ultimatum">New Zealand</a> is looking at doing the same thing, <a href="https://www.biocatch.com/blog/mas-shared-responsibility-fraud-losses">as is Singapore</a>.</p> <p>But here, the treasury’s discussion paper on its mandatory codes mentions reimbursement <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-11/c2023-464732-cp.pdf">only once</a>. That’s when it talks about what’s happening in the UK. Neither treasury nor the relevant federal minister is proposing it here.</p> <h2>Australia’s approach is softer</h2> <p>Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones is in charge of Australia’s rules.</p> <p>Asked why he wasn’t pushing for compulsory reimbursement here, Jones said on Monday <a href="https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/stephen-jones-2022/transcripts/interview-mark-gibson-abc-perth">prevention was better</a>.</p> <blockquote> <p>I think a simplistic approach of just saying, ‘Oh, well, if any loss, if anyone incurs a loss, then the bank always pay’, won’t work. It’ll just make Australia a honeypot for these international crime gangs, because they’ll say, well, ‘Let’s, you know, focus all of our activity on Australia because it’s a victimless crime if banks always pay’.</p> </blockquote> <p>Telling banks to pay would certainly focus the minds of the banks, in the way they are about to be focused in the UK.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.ausbanking.org.au/submissions/">Australian Banking Association</a> hasn’t published its submission to the treasury review, but the <a href="https://consumeraction.org.au/scams-mandatory-industry-codes-consultation-paper/">Consumer Action Law Centre</a> has.</p> <p>It says if banks had to reimburse money lost, they’d have more of a reason to keep it safe.</p> <p>In the UK, they are about to find out. If Jones is right, it might be about to become a honeypot for scammers. If he is wrong, his government will leave Australia even further behind when it comes to scams – leaving us thousands more dollars behind per day.<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/228867/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-martin-682709">Peter Martin</a>, Visiting Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/crawford-school-of-public-policy-australian-national-university-3292">Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </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/australians-lose-5-200-a-minute-to-scammers-theres-a-simple-thing-the-government-could-do-to-reduce-this-why-wont-they-228867">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Money & Banking

What ‘psychological warfare’ tactics do scammers use, and how can you protect yourself?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mike-johnstone-106590">Mike Johnstone</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/georgia-psaroulis-1513050">Georgia Psaroulis</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a></em></p> <p>Not a day goes by without a headline <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/qjvaym/people-share-worst-scam-stories">about a victim being scammed</a> and losing money. We are constantly warned about new scams and staying safe from cybercriminals. Scamwatch has <a href="https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/research-and-resources/tools-resources/online-resources/spot-the-scam-signs">no shortage of resources</a>, too.</p> <p>So why are people still getting scammed, and sometimes spectacularly so?</p> <p>Scammers use sophisticated psychological techniques. They exploit our deepest human vulnerabilities and bypass rational thought to tap into our emotional responses.</p> <p>This “<a href="https://www.thecut.com/article/amazon-scam-call-ftc-arrest-warrants.html">psychological warfare</a>” coerces victims into making impulsive decisions. Sometimes scammers spread their methods around many potential victims to see who is vulnerable. Other times, criminals focus on a specific person.</p> <p>Let’s unpack some of these psychological techniques, and how you can defend against them.</p> <h2>1. Random phone calls</h2> <p>Scammers start with small requests to establish a sense of commitment. After agreeing to these minor requests, we are more likely to comply with larger demands, driven by a desire to act consistently.</p> <p>The call won’t come from a number in your contacts or one you recognise, but the scammer may pretend to be someone you’ve engaged to work on your house, or perhaps one of your children using a friend’s phone to call you.</p> <p>If it is a scammer, maybe keeping you on the phone for a long time gives them an opportunity to find out things about you or people you know. They can use this info either immediately or at a later date.</p> <h2>2. Creating a sense of urgency</h2> <p>Scammers fabricate scenarios that require immediate action, like claiming a bank account is at risk of closure or an offer is about to expire. This tactic aims to prevent victims from assessing the situation logically or seeking advice, pressuring them into rushed decisions.</p> <p>The scammer creates an artificial situation in which you are frightened into doing something you wouldn’t ordinarily do. Scam calls <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-have-filed-a-case-under-your-name-beware-of-tax-scams-theyll-be-everywhere-this-eofy-162171">alleging to be from the Australian Tax Office</a> (ATO) are a great example. You have a debt to pay (apparently) and things will go badly if you don’t pay <em>right now</em>.</p> <p>Scammers play on your emotions to provoke reactions that cloud judgement. They may threaten legal trouble to instil fear, promise high investment returns to exploit greed, or share fabricated distressing stories to elicit sympathy and financial assistance.</p> <h2>3. Building rapport with casual talk</h2> <p>Through extended conversation, scammers build a psychological commitment to their scheme. No one gets very far by just demanding your password, but it’s natural to be friendly with people who are friendly towards us.</p> <p>After staying on the line for long periods of time, the victim also becomes cognitively fatigued. This not only makes the victim more open to suggestions, but also isolates them from friends or family who might recognise and counteract the scam.</p> <h2>4. Help me to help you</h2> <p>In this case, the scammer creates a situation where they help you to solve a real or imaginary problem (that they actually created). They work their “IT magic” and the problem goes away.</p> <p>Later, they ask you for something you wouldn’t normally do, and you do it because of the “social debt”: they helped you first.</p> <p>For example, a hacker might attack a corporate network, causing it to slow down. Then they call you, pretending to be from your organisation, perhaps as a recent hire not yet on the company’s contact list. They “help” you by turning off the attack, leaving you suitably grateful.</p> <p>Perhaps a week later, they call again and ask for sensitive information, such as the CEO’s password. You <em>know</em> company policy is to not divulge it, but the scammer will ask if you remember them (of course you do) and come up with an excuse for why they really need this password.</p> <p>The balance of the social debt says you will help them.</p> <h2>5. Appealing to authority</h2> <p>By posing as line managers, officials from government agencies, banks, or other authoritative bodies, scammers exploit our natural tendency to obey authority.</p> <p>Such scams operate at varying levels of sophistication. The simple version: your manager messages you with an <em>urgent</em> request to purchase some gift cards and send through their numbers.</p> <p>The complex version: your manager calls and asks to urgently transfer a large sum of money to an account you don’t recognise. You do this because <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/fraudsters-use-ai-to-mimic-ceos-voice-in-unusual-cybercrime-case-11567157402">it sounds exactly</a> like your manager on the phone – but the scammer <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2021/10/14/huge-bank-fraud-uses-deep-fake-voice-tech-to-steal-millions/?sh=1329b80e7559">is using a voice deepfake</a>. In a recent major case in Hong Kong, such a scam even involved a <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2024/02/04/asia/deepfake-cfo-scam-hong-kong-intl-hnk/index.html">deepfake video call</a>.</p> <p>This is deeply challenging because artificial intelligence tools, such as Microsoft’s VALL-E, can create <a href="https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/01/microsofts-new-ai-can-simulate-anyones-voice-with-3-seconds-of-audio/">a voice deepfake</a> using just three seconds of sampled audio from a real person.</p> <h2>How can you defend against a scam?</h2> <p>First and foremost, <strong>verify identity</strong>. Find another way to contact the person to verify who they are. For example, you can call a generic number for the business and ask to be connected.</p> <p>In the face of rampant voice deepfakes, it can be helpful to <strong>agree on a “safe word” with your family members</strong>. If they call from an unrecognised number and you don’t hear the safe word just hang up.</p> <p>Watch out for <strong>pressure tactics</strong>. If the conversation is moving too fast, remember that someone else’s problem is not yours to solve. Stop and run the problem past a colleague or family member for a sanity check. A legitimate business will have no problem with you doing this.</p> <p>Lastly, if you are not sure about even the slightest detail, the simplest thing is to hang up or not respond. If you really owe a tax debt, the ATO will write to you.<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/223959/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mike-johnstone-106590"><em>Mike Johnstone</em></a><em>, Security Researcher, Associate Professor in Resilient Systems, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/georgia-psaroulis-1513050">Georgia Psaroulis</a>, Postdoctoral research fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</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/what-psychological-warfare-tactics-do-scammers-use-and-how-can-you-protect-yourself-223959">original article</a>.</em></p>

Money & Banking

How to protect yourself from cyber-scammers over the festive period

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachael-medhurst-1408437">Rachael Medhurst</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-wales-1586">University of South Wales</a></em></p> <p>The festive season is a time for joy, family and festive cheer. However, it’s also a prime target for cybercriminals. As online shopping ramps up, so does the risk of falling prey to cyber-attacks. That’s why it’s crucial to be extra vigilant about your <a href="https://blog.tctg.co.uk/12-cyber-security-tips-of-christmas">cybersecurity</a> during this time.</p> <p>Here are some essential tips to safeguard yourself and your data during the festive period:</p> <h2>Phishing</h2> <p>Phishing is when criminals use scam emails, text messages or phone calls to trick their victims. Their <a href="https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/phishing-scams">goal</a> is often to make you visit a certain website, which may download a virus on to your computer, or steal bank details or other personal data.</p> <p>This type of scam tends to <a href="https://www.egress.com/blog/phishing/holiday-phishing-scam-guide">increase</a> at this time due to the amount of people having bought or received new gadgets and technology.</p> <p>Look out for there being no direct reference to your name in any communications, with wording such as “Dear Sir/Madam” or other terms such as “valued customer” being used instead. Grammar and spelling mistakes are also often present.</p> <p>Be wary of any suspicious links or attachments within emails too, and don’t click them. It’s better to contact the company directly to check if the message is genuine. You can also <a href="https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/phishing-scams">report</a> suspicious messages and phishing scams to the government’s National Cyber Security Centre.</p> <h2>Shopping safely online</h2> <p>The convenience of online shopping is undeniable, especially during the festive season. However, it’s crucial to prioritise your security when buying online.</p> <p>Before entering your personal and financial information on any website, ensure it’s legitimate and secure. Look for the “https” in the address bar and a <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-vast-majority-of-us-have-no-idea-what-the-padlock-icon-on-our-internet-browser-is-and-its-putting-us-at-risk-216581">padlock</a> icon, which indicates a secure and encrypted connection.</p> <p>When creating passwords for online shopping accounts, use strong, unique combinations of letters, numbers and symbols. Avoid using the same password for multiple accounts, as a breach on one site could compromise all your others.</p> <p>As with shopping in the real world, be cautious when encountering offers that are significantly below usual prices or which make extravagant promises. Always conduct thorough research on the seller and product before making a purchase. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.</p> <p>And if you are out shopping in towns or city centres, there will often be a large number of public wifi options available to you. However, criminals can intercept the data that is transferred across such open and unsecured wifi. So, avoid using public wifi where possible, especially when conducting any financial transactions.</p> <h2>Social media</h2> <p>While social media platforms provide people with a means to keep in touch with family and friends over the festive period, they are often a goldmine for <a href="https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-to-spot-a-social-media-scam-aMtwF3u1XKGt">scams</a> and malware (software designed to disrupt, damage or gain unauthorised access to a computer). In the spirit of the festive season, people often share an abundance of personal information on social media, often without considering the potential consequences.</p> <p>This trove of data can make people vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Scammers can exploit this information to gain unauthorised access to social media accounts, steal personal information, or even commit identity theft. To protect yourself, be mindful of what you share.</p> <p>Be wary when interacting with posts and direct messages, especially if they contain suspicious links or attachments. Before clicking on anything, hover over the link to verify its destination. If it shows a website you don’t recognise or seems unrelated to the message, do not click on it. If you receive a message from someone you know but the content seems strange or out of character, contact them directly through a trusted channel to verify its authenticity.</p> <p>Likewise, be wary of messages containing urgent requests for money or personal information from businesses. Genuine organisations will never solicit sensitive details through social media.</p> <p>There are many buy and sell platforms available on social media. But while such platforms can be a great place to find a unique gift, it is also important to remember that not all sellers may be legitimate. So, it’s vital that you don’t share your bank details. If the seller sends a link to purchase the item, do not use it. When meeting to collect an item, it’s generally safer to use cash rather than transferring funds electronically.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aO858HyFbKI?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">Advice for staying safe online.</span></figcaption></figure> <h2>Package delivery scams</h2> <p>As well as being a time for giving and receiving gifts, the festive season is also ripe for cybercriminals to exploit the excitement surrounding <a href="https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/about-us1/media/press-releases/scams-linked-to-parcel-deliveries-come-top-in-2023/">package deliveries</a>.</p> <p>Scammers often pose as legitimate delivery companies, sending emails or text messages claiming that a delivery attempt was unsuccessful or requiring additional fees for processing, or even customs clearance. Typically, these messages contain links or phone numbers that, when clicked or called, lead to fake websites or automated phone systems designed to collect personal information or payments.</p> <p>To protect yourself, always verify the legitimacy of any delivery notifications you receive. Check the sender’s email address or phone number against the official contact information for the delivery company. If the information doesn’t match or seems suspicious, don’t click any links or provide personal details.</p> <p>Legitimate delivery companies will never ask for upfront payment or sensitive information through unsolicited messages or calls.</p> <p>Remember, cybercriminals are skilled at manipulating the festive spirit to their advantage. Stay vigilant, exercise caution, and don’t let your excitement for gifts and deliveries compromise your cybersecurity.<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/218294/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachael-medhurst-1408437"><em>Rachael Medhurst</em></a><em>, Course Leader and Senior Lecturer in Cyber Security NCSA, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-wales-1586">University of South Wales</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </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/how-to-protect-yourself-from-cyber-scammers-over-the-festive-period-218294">original article</a>.</em></p>

Money & Banking

RECALL ALERT: Two popular Woolies cheeses spark listeria concerns

<p>Woolworths stores nationwide are issuing a recall on two popular Camembert cheese brands due to potential listeria contamination.</p> <p>The recall specifically pertains to two 125g Camembert cheese products that have been identified as having potential microbial contamination, specifically Listeria monocytogenes.</p> <p>The affected products are the Unicorn Classic Camembert from Snowbrand Australia, trading under the name Unicorn Cheese, and Community Co's French Style Camembert. Both of these cheeses carry Best Before dates of November 8, 2023.</p> <p>These products were available for purchase not only at Woolworths stores in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania but also at other retail outlets, including Natures Best, V & C Food Distributors, and Bills Cheese and Yoghurts in New South Wales, as well as Our United Food Co in Queensland. Select independent stores, such as IGAs in Victoria and Queensland, also stocked these cheeses.</p> <p>Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that can pose health risks, particularly to vulnerable individuals such as pregnant women, their unborn babies, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.</p> <p>The Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) issued a statement warning, "Listeria may cause illness in pregnant women and their unborn babies, the elderly, and people with low immune systems." FSANZ advises any consumers who are concerned about their health in relation to these products to seek medical advice and return the items to the place of purchase for a full refund.</p> <p>The affected Camembert cheese products belong to Batch 123123E Est No 287.</p> <p>Consumers seeking more information can contact Snowbrand Australia (Unicorn Cheese) at 02 4423 1266.</p> <p><em>Images: FSANZ</em></p>

Legal

"Be alert": Australia Post's urgent plea to motorists

<p>Australia Post has issued an urgent plea for motorists to look out for their local posties, after shocking new data revealed how many postal workers are injured on the job. </p> <p>The data has revealed that during the 2022-23 financial year, 65 posties were injured as a direct result of third-party traffic accidents, with injuries including everything from broken limbs to concussions.</p> <p>Many of these incidents resulted in hospital stays, extended periods of leave and lasting psychological trauma.</p> <p>Australia Post's General Manager of Safety and Wellbeing, Rod Maule, has said that even one vehicle-related accident is too many, and pleaded for motorists to drive safely at all times.</p> <p>"While we want our team to deliver for all Australians, we also want each of them to safely get home to their families at the end of the day," Mr Maule said.</p> <p>"Safety is our number-one priority, which is why we've invested millions of dollars into advanced technology and training to keep our team safe on the road. But it isn't just up to us," he added. "We are asking all drivers to be alert and keep an eye out for our posties, especially over the next few months as we ramp up deliveries in the lead-up to Christmas."</p> <p>The statement comes in the wake of shocking footage going viral of postal workers being hit by motorists.</p> <p>In an incident last month, a postie is seen riding across an intersection when, seemingly out of nowhere, he's struck by another motorist and knocked from his bike causing an injury to his leg.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Australia Post</em></p>

Travel Trouble

How scammers use psychology to create some of the most convincing internet cons – and what to watch out for

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stacey-wood-473147"><em>Stacey Wood</em></a><em>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/scripps-college-2153">Scripps College</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yaniv-hanoch-1341108">Yaniv Hanoch</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southampton-1093">University of Southampton</a></em></p> <p><a href="https://www.experian.co.uk/blogs/latest-thinking/fraud-prevention/cybercrime-fraud-most-common-crime-uk/">Online fraud is today’s most common crime</a>. Victims are often told they are foolish for falling for it, but fraudsters use psychological mechanisms to infiltrate the defences of their targets, regardless of how intelligent they are.</p> <p>So it’s important to keep up with the latest scams and understand how they work.</p> <p>Recently, consumer protection magazine Which? <a href="https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/the-4-most-convincing-scams-weve-seen-in-2023-so-far-a7bRP9s0KJvG">identified some of the most convincing scams of 2023</a>. These scams all have one thing in common – they insidiously take advantage of people’s cognitive biases and psychological blind spots.</p> <p>They included “pig butchering” a way of fattening up victims with affection, the missing person scam which involves posting fake content on social media pages, the traditional PayPal scam, and a new scam called the “fake app alert” in which malware is hidden on apps that look legitimate.</p> <h2>Pig butchering</h2> <p>In our work as fraud psychology researchers we have noticed a trend towards hybrid scams, which combine different types of fraud. Hybrid scams often involve crypto investments and <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-fraud-crisis/202210/new-scams-committed-forced-trafficked-labor">sometimes use trafficked labour</a> In the US alone, <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/springfield/news/internet-crime-complaint-center-releases-2022-statistics">the FBI recently reported</a> that people lost US $3.3 billion (£2.6 billion) in 2023 to investment fraud.</p> <p>Pig butchering is a long-term deception. <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/02/pig-butchering-scammers-make-billions-convincing-victims-of-love.html">This type of scam</a> combines elements of <a href="https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/a-z-of-fraud/romance-scams">romance scams</a> with an investment con. The name comes from the strategy of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/may/22/dating-cons-and-dodgy-apps-among-most-common-scams-says-uk-watchdog">“fattening up” a victim with affection before slaughter</a>.</p> <p>It will usually begin with <a href="https://www.which.co.uk/policy-and-insight/article/pig-butchering-among-most-convincing-scams-of-2023-so-far-which-warns-aDRtr4I1UT1R">standard scam approach like a text</a>, social media message, or an introduction at a job board site.</p> <p>Victims may have their guard up at first. However, these scams can unfold over months, with the scammer slowly gaining the victims’ trust and initiating a romantic relationship all the while learning about their vulnerabilities.</p> <p>For example, details of their financial situation, job stresses, and dreams about the life they want. Romance scammers often saturate their targets with affection and almost constant contact. Pig butchering sometimes involves several trafficked people working as a team to create a single persona.</p> <p>Once the victim depends on the scammer for their emotional connection, the scammer introduces the idea of making an investment and uses fake crypto platforms to demonstrate returns. The scammers may use legitimate sounding cryptocoins and platforms. Victims can invest and “see” strong returns online. In reality, their money is going directly to the scammer.</p> <p>Once a victim transfers a substantial amount of money to the con artist, they are less likely to pull out. This phenomenon is known as the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0749597885900494">“sunk cost fallacy”</a>. Research has shown people are likely to carry on investing money, time and effort in activities they have already invested in and ignore signs the endeavour isn’t in their best interests.</p> <p>When the victim runs out of money or tries to withdraw funds, they are blocked.</p> <p>The victim is left with not only financial devastation, but also the loss of what they may imagine to be their most intimate partnership. They are often <a href="https://cloud-platform-e218f50a4812967ba1215eaecede923f.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/sites/6/2021/12/VC-Who-Suffers-Fraud-Report-1.pdf">too embarrassed to discuss the experience</a> with friends and family or to report to the police.</p> <h2>PayPal scams</h2> <p>Fake payment requests are a common attack that works by volume rather than playing the long game. Payment requests appear to come from a genuine PayPal address. Fraudulent messages typically begin with a generic greeting, an urgent request and a fake link.</p> <p>For example, Dear User: You’ve received a payment, or you have paid too much. Please click link below for details. Users are directed to a spoofed website with a legitimate sounding name such as www.paypal.com/SpecialOffers and asked to enter their account information and password.</p> <p>Both of us have received these scam requests – and even we found them difficult to discern from legitimate PayPal request emails. These scams work through mimicry and play on the human tendency to trust authority. Legitimate PayPal correspondence is usually automatic bot language, so it is not difficult to imitate.</p> <p>But remember, genuine messages from PayPal <a href="https://www.paypal.com/ca/for-you/account/security/fraud-dangers#:%7E:text=Any%20email%20from%20PayPal%20will,bank%20account%2C%20or%20credit%20card.">will use your first and last name</a>.</p> <h2>The missing person scam</h2> <p>This seems to be a new scam that exploits a person’s kindness. In the past, charity scams involved posing as charitable organisation responding to a <a href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2019/charity.html">recent, real calamity</a>.</p> <p>The new missing person scam is more sophisticated. The initial plea is a <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/20875699/facebook-fake-missing-child-scam-warning/">fake missing person post</a> that generates likes and shares, increasing its credibility and exposure. Then the fraudster edits the content to create an investment scheme which now has the veneer of legitimacy.</p> <p>This scam may work because the initial consumers are unaware that the content is fraudulent, and there is no obvious request. In psychology, this type of persuasion is known as “<a href="https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/psychology/social-proof">social proof</a>” – the tendency of individuals to follow and copy behaviour of others.</p> <h2>Fake app alerts</h2> <p>People post mobile apps, designed to steal users’ personal information, on the Google Play or Apple app store.</p> <p>The app often has a <a href="https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/crime/another-person-comes-forward-after-banking-app-scam-3584340">legitimate function</a>, which gives it a cover. Consumers unknowingly jeopardise their private information by downloading these apps which use malware to access additional information.</p> <p>Although there has been <a href="https://tech.co/news/fake-android-apps-delete">media coverage of Android security issues</a>, many users assume malware <a href="https://www.ben-evans.com/benedictevans/2020/8/18/app-stores">cannot bypass app store screening</a>. Again, this scam plays on people’s <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0021-9010.92.3.639">trust in authority figures</a> to keep tjem safe.</p> <p>Discuss any investment opportunities with friends, family members or professionals. It’s much easier said than done, but exercising caution one of the best strategies to reduce the chance of becoming a fraud victim.</p> <p>Scammers count on people paying little to no attention to their emails or messages before clicking on them or providing valuable information. When it comes to scams, the devil is in the missing details.<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/207759/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stacey-wood-473147">Stacey Wood</a>, Professor of Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/scripps-college-2153">Scripps College</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yaniv-hanoch-1341108">Yaniv Hanoch</a>, Professor in Decision Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southampton-1093">University of Southampton</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/how-scammers-use-psychology-to-create-some-of-the-most-convincing-internet-cons-and-what-to-watch-out-for-207759">original article</a>.</em></p>

Technology

ChatGPT and other generative AI could foster science denial and misunderstanding – here’s how you can be on alert

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gale-sinatra-1234776">Gale Sinatra</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-california-1265">University of Southern California</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/barbara-k-hofer-1231530">Barbara K. Hofer</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/middlebury-1247">Middlebury</a></em></p> <p>Until very recently, if you wanted to know more about a controversial scientific topic – stem cell research, the safety of nuclear energy, climate change – you probably did a Google search. Presented with multiple sources, you chose what to read, selecting which sites or authorities to trust.</p> <p>Now you have another option: You can pose your question to ChatGPT or another generative artificial intelligence platform and quickly receive a succinct response in paragraph form.</p> <p>ChatGPT does not search the internet the way Google does. Instead, it generates responses to queries by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/05/07/ai-beginners-guide/">predicting likely word combinations</a> from a massive amalgam of available online information.</p> <p>Although it has the potential for <a href="https://hbr.org/podcast/2023/05/how-generative-ai-changes-productivity">enhancing productivity</a>, generative AI has been shown to have some major faults. It can <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ai-platforms-like-chatgpt-are-easy-to-use-but-also-potentially-dangerous/">produce misinformation</a>. It can create “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/01/business/ai-chatbots-hallucination.html">hallucinations</a>” – a benign term for making things up. And it doesn’t always accurately solve reasoning problems. For example, when asked if both a car and a tank can fit through a doorway, it <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/14/technology/openai-new-gpt4.html">failed to consider both width and height</a>. Nevertheless, it is already being used to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2023/01/17/cnet-ai-articles-journalism-corrections/">produce articles</a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/19/technology/ai-generated-content-discovered-on-news-sites-content-farms-and-product-reviews.html">website content</a> you may have encountered, or <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/21/opinion/chatgpt-journalism.html">as a tool</a> in the writing process. Yet you are unlikely to know if what you’re reading was created by AI.</p> <p>As the authors of “<a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/science-denial-9780197683330">Science Denial: Why It Happens and What to Do About It</a>,” we are concerned about how generative AI may blur the boundaries between truth and fiction for those seeking authoritative scientific information.</p> <p>Every media consumer needs to be more vigilant than ever in verifying scientific accuracy in what they read. Here’s how you can stay on your toes in this new information landscape.</p> <h2>How generative AI could promote science denial</h2> <p><strong>Erosion of epistemic trust</strong>. All consumers of science information depend on judgments of scientific and medical experts. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02691728.2014.971907">Epistemic trust</a> is the process of trusting knowledge you get from others. It is fundamental to the understanding and use of scientific information. Whether someone is seeking information about a health concern or trying to understand solutions to climate change, they often have limited scientific understanding and little access to firsthand evidence. With a rapidly growing body of information online, people must make frequent decisions about what and whom to trust. With the increased use of generative AI and the potential for manipulation, we believe trust is likely to erode further than <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2022/02/15/americans-trust-in-scientists-other-groups-declines/">it already has</a>.</p> <p><strong>Misleading or just plain wrong</strong>. If there are errors or biases in the data on which AI platforms are trained, that <a href="https://theconversation.com/ai-information-retrieval-a-search-engine-researcher-explains-the-promise-and-peril-of-letting-chatgpt-and-its-cousins-search-the-web-for-you-200875">can be reflected in the results</a>. In our own searches, when we have asked ChatGPT to regenerate multiple answers to the same question, we have gotten conflicting answers. Asked why, it responded, “Sometimes I make mistakes.” Perhaps the trickiest issue with AI-generated content is knowing when it is wrong.</p> <p><strong>Disinformation spread intentionally</strong>. AI can be used to generate compelling disinformation as text as well as deepfake images and videos. When we asked ChatGPT to “<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ai-platforms-like-chatgpt-are-easy-to-use-but-also-potentially-dangerous/">write about vaccines in the style of disinformation</a>,” it produced a nonexistent citation with fake data. Geoffrey Hinton, former head of AI development at Google, quit to be free to sound the alarm, saying, “It is hard to see how you can prevent the bad actors from <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/01/technology/ai-google-chatbot-engineer-quits-hinton.html">using it for bad things</a>.” The potential to create and spread deliberately incorrect information about science already existed, but it is now dangerously easy.</p> <p><strong>Fabricated sources</strong>. ChatGPT provides responses with no sources at all, or if asked for sources, may present <a href="https://economistwritingeveryday.com/2023/01/21/chatgpt-cites-economics-papers-that-do-not-exist/">ones it made up</a>. We both asked ChatGPT to generate a list of our own publications. We each identified a few correct sources. More were hallucinations, yet seemingly reputable and mostly plausible, with actual previous co-authors, in similar sounding journals. This inventiveness is a big problem if a list of a scholar’s publications conveys authority to a reader who doesn’t take time to verify them.</p> <p><strong>Dated knowledge</strong>. ChatGPT doesn’t know what happened in the world after its training concluded. A query on what percentage of the world has had COVID-19 returned an answer prefaced by “as of my knowledge cutoff date of September 2021.” Given how rapidly knowledge advances in some areas, this limitation could mean readers get erroneous outdated information. If you’re seeking recent research on a personal health issue, for instance, beware.</p> <p><strong>Rapid advancement and poor transparency</strong>. AI systems continue to become <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/01/technology/ai-google-chatbot-engineer-quits-hinton.html">more powerful and learn faster</a>, and they may learn more science misinformation along the way. Google recently announced <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/10/technology/google-ai-products.html">25 new embedded uses of AI in its services</a>. At this point, <a href="https://theconversation.com/regulating-ai-3-experts-explain-why-its-difficult-to-do-and-important-to-get-right-198868">insufficient guardrails are in place</a> to assure that generative AI will become a more accurate purveyor of scientific information over time.</p> <h2>What can you do?</h2> <p>If you use ChatGPT or other AI platforms, recognize that they might not be completely accurate. The burden falls to the user to discern accuracy.</p> <p><strong>Increase your vigilance</strong>. <a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2022/12/ai-will-start-fact-checking-we-may-not-like-the-results/">AI fact-checking apps may be available soon</a>, but for now, users must serve as their own fact-checkers. <a href="https://www.nsta.org/science-teacher/science-teacher-januaryfebruary-2023/plausible">There are steps we recommend</a>. The first is: Be vigilant. People often reflexively share information found from searches on social media with little or no vetting. Know when to become more deliberately thoughtful and when it’s worth identifying and evaluating sources of information. If you’re trying to decide how to manage a serious illness or to understand the best steps for addressing climate change, take time to vet the sources.</p> <p><strong>Improve your fact-checking</strong>. A second step is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000740">lateral reading</a>, a process professional fact-checkers use. Open a new window and search for <a href="https://www.nsta.org/science-teacher/science-teacher-mayjune-2023/marginalizing-misinformation">information about the sources</a>, if provided. Is the source credible? Does the author have relevant expertise? And what is the consensus of experts? If no sources are provided or you don’t know if they are valid, use a traditional search engine to find and evaluate experts on the topic.</p> <p><strong>Evaluate the evidence</strong>. Next, take a look at the evidence and its connection to the claim. Is there evidence that genetically modified foods are safe? Is there evidence that they are not? What is the scientific consensus? Evaluating the claims will take effort beyond a quick query to ChatGPT.</p> <p><strong>If you begin with AI, don’t stop there</strong>. Exercise caution in using it as the sole authority on any scientific issue. You might see what ChatGPT has to say about genetically modified organisms or vaccine safety, but also follow up with a more diligent search using traditional search engines before you draw conclusions.</p> <p><strong>Assess plausibility</strong>. Judge whether the claim is plausible. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2013.03.001">Is it likely to be true</a>? If AI makes an implausible (and inaccurate) statement like “<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2022/12/23/fact-check-false-claim-covid-19-vaccines-caused-1-1-million-deaths/10929679002/">1 million deaths were caused by vaccines, not COVID-19</a>,” consider if it even makes sense. Make a tentative judgment and then be open to revising your thinking once you have checked the evidence.</p> <p><strong>Promote digital literacy in yourself and others</strong>. Everyone needs to up their game. <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-be-a-good-digital-citizen-during-the-election-and-its-aftermath-148974">Improve your own digital literacy</a>, and if you are a parent, teacher, mentor or community leader, promote digital literacy in others. The American Psychological Association provides guidance on <a href="https://www.apa.org/topics/social-media-internet/social-media-literacy-teens">fact-checking online information</a> and recommends teens be <a href="https://www.apa.org/topics/social-media-internet/health-advisory-adolescent-social-media-use">trained in social media skills</a> to minimize risks to health and well-being. <a href="https://newslit.org/">The News Literacy Project</a> provides helpful tools for improving and supporting digital literacy.</p> <p>Arm yourself with the skills you need to navigate the new AI information landscape. Even if you don’t use generative AI, it is likely you have already read articles created by it or developed from it. It can take time and effort to find and evaluate reliable information about science online – but it is worth it.<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/204897/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gale-sinatra-1234776">Gale Sinatra</a>, Professor of Education and Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-california-1265">University of Southern California</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/barbara-k-hofer-1231530">Barbara K. Hofer</a>, Professor of Psychology Emerita, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/middlebury-1247">Middlebury</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</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/chatgpt-and-other-generative-ai-could-foster-science-denial-and-misunderstanding-heres-how-you-can-be-on-alert-204897">original article</a>.</em></p>

Technology

Australians lost more than $3bn to scammers in 2022. Here are 5 emerging scams to look out for

<p>The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s latest <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/Targeting%20scams%202022.pdf">Targeting Scams report</a> indicates Australians reported more than A$3 billion lost to fraud in 2022. This is about a $1 billion increase on <a href="https://theconversation.com/australians-lost-2b-to-fraud-in-2021-this-figure-should-sound-alarm-bells-for-the-future-186459">reported losses from 2021</a>.</p> <p>Year upon year, we’re witnessing a rise in monetary losses to fraud. Behind these figures sit millions of Australians who experience a range of financial and non-financial <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/29-1314-FinalReport.pdf">harms</a>.</p> <p>Here’s what we’ve learned from the latest report – and some advice on what to look out for in the year ahead.</p> <h2>2022 at a glance</h2> <p>Of the reported $3 billion lost, about half was stolen as part of investment schemes – more than double the $701 million figure from 2021. A desire to invest in cryptocurrency has driven up these losses, with potential investors inadvertently transferring money to offenders advertising a range of falsehoods.</p> <p>Remote access schemes – in which a scammer convinces the victim to grant them access to their computer – jumped into second place, with $229 million in reported losses. This was followed by payment redirection scams (also known as business email compromise fraud).</p> <p>Those who reported directly to Scamwatch lost an average of $19,654 – an increase of 54% from the $12,742 reported in 2021.</p> <p>The report also shows not all victims are targeted equally; people aged 65 years and older reported the highest losses across all demographics. Indigenous Australians, people with a disability, and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds were also overrepresented.</p> <p>For the first time in many years, text message was the most popular method for offenders to target victims. And while bank transfers were the most popular way to send funds to offenders, <a href="https://theconversation.com/crypto-theft-is-on-the-rise-heres-how-the-crimes-are-committed-and-how-you-can-protect-yourself-176027">cryptocurrency transfers</a> continue to increase in popularity – rising 162.4% in one year.</p> <p>There was, however, a reduction in fraudulent phone calls. This is likely attributable to the introduction of <a href="https://www.commsalliance.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/72150/C661_2022.pdf">regulatory action</a> to block known scam calls. It’s a bright spot in an otherwise dark report.</p> <h2>Trends to look out for</h2> <p>The Targeting Scams report demonstrates the many ways offenders seek to defraud victims. On one hand, people are becoming more aware of common scam tactics. On the other, criminals are adjusting their methods to gain the upper hand.</p> <p>Here are five types of relatively lesser-known frauds everyone should be aware of.</p> <p><strong>1. Romance baiting</strong></p> <p>Also known as “<a href="https://news.sophos.com/en-us/2021/05/12/fake-android-and-ios-apps-disguise-as-trading-and-cryptocurrency-apps/">cryptorom</a>” or “<a href="https://krebsonsecurity.com/2022/07/massive-losses-define-epidemic-of-pig-butchering/">pig butchering</a>”, this scam is a convergence of investment fraud and traditional romance fraud approaches.</p> <p>The offender first initiates a relationship with the victim – through dating apps, websites or social media platforms. Once they’ve established trust, they encourage the victim to put their money into an “investment” opportunity, often cryptocurrency. The victim will then unknowingly transfer their money to the offender, who is under a different guise.</p> <p>This kind of romance baiting raises fewer red flags than directly asking for money, and is targeting a younger demographic compared to more traditional romance fraud.</p> <p>Such deceptions are coded under investment schemes. This is likely driving the surge in investment scheme losses reported in recent years, while also accounting for a lack of substantial increases in romance fraud.</p> <p><strong>2. Online shopping fraud</strong></p> <p>Offenders are skilled at creating fake websites and product advertisements that look genuine.</p> <p>Often these fake sites will have only subtle differences from their real counterparts. Consumers may not be able to tell the difference. Criminals can directly access funds through victims’ credit card details obtained on these sites.</p> <p>Online shopping fraud targets a range of demographics. It’s happening on stand-alone websites, social media platforms and online marketplaces.</p> <p><strong>3. Jobs and employment fraud</strong></p> <p><a href="https://research.qut.edu.au/centre-for-justice/wp-content/uploads/sites/304/2022/02/Briefing-Paper-Series-Feb2022-Issue21-17022022.pdf">Research</a> has indicated that working from home and flexible working conditions are strong indicators of a fraudulent job listing.</p> <p>But in a post-COVID world, flexibility at work is often a key criterion for job seekers, if not a deal-breaker. Offenders have noticed this, and are responding by posting attractive job advertisements that offer flexibility and high incomes.</p> <p>Victims submit their CVs and personal credentials (setting themselves up for identity crime), or may be required to pay upfront for training or materials costs for a job that doesn’t exist.</p> <p>Employment scams are targeting younger people in particular, as they’re more likely to have <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/report/youth-unemployment-and-the-pandemic/">experienced job loss and insecurity</a> in the wake of the pandemic.</p> <p><strong>4. Recovery schemes</strong></p> <p>Many fraud victims will want to take whatever action possible to recover lost funds.</p> <p>To exploit this, offenders will trade the details of victims with each other. They will then pose as authorities (often law enforcement, banks or private agencies) who are aware of the victim’s circumstances and promote their ability to regain the missing funds for a fee.</p> <p>In this way, victims who are desperate to recover losses are manipulated into paying even more money to offenders.</p> <p><strong>5. Remote access schemes</strong></p> <p>Receiving a phone call from a computer technician advising of a problem with your computer and offering to fix it is a common experience for many. While this approach isn’t new, it made a strong resurgence in 2022 – particularly targeting older people.</p> <p>These scam calls often come through landlines and prey on people’s fear for the security of their bank details and other personal data. The fraudsters often invoke a sense of urgency about needing to rectify the “problem”, and victims are persuaded to give the offender remote access to their computer.</p> <p>The criminal can then access a wealth of personal information. They can gain direct entry to bank accounts to transfer funds, and can access identity credentials and other sensitive details to commit identity crime in the future.</p> <h2>Change is needed to protect the public</h2> <p>The threat of fraud will only increase alongside technological evolution. Experts are concerned about artificial intelligence tools such as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/mar/08/darktrace-warns-of-rise-in-ai-enhanced-scams-since-chatgpt-release">ChatGPT</a> and image and video generators giving cybercriminals yet another tool to add to their arsenal.</p> <p>The latest Scamwatch report is further evidence banks and financial institutions need to implement measures to help reduce fraud losses; among these, the checking of account names against BSB numbers for all transactions. The UK has a <a href="https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/policy-and-guidance/guidance/confirmation-payee">confirmation-of-payee</a> policy that does this.</p> <p>The government is attempting to address the continued surge in fraud losses through the revision of its <a href="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about-us/our-portfolios/cyber-security/strategy/2023-2030-australian-cyber-security-strategy">cybersecurity strategy</a> and the potential establishment of a <a href="https://consultation.accc.gov.au/accc/national-anti-scams-centre-survey/">National Anti-Scams Centre</a>.</p> <p>These are both positive steps but it’s clear there’s a need for more work to be done.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/australians-lost-more-than-3bn-to-scammers-in-2022-here-are-5-emerging-scams-to-look-out-for-204018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Money & Banking

“So many non-technical people will fall for this”: New myGov scam that looks real

<p>Australians are being urged to be especially cautious of a new online myGov scam that purports to offer hundreds of dollars in tax refunds – and once you click through, the interfaces are so expertly copied that even highly vigilant scam experts are worried people will be taken in, and could potentially lose all their savings. </p> <p>The email, once it drops in your inbox, will inform you of an outstanding myGov refund, and will appear to genuinely be from the government agency. </p> <p>Email security software company MailGuard raised the alarm this week when it intercepted one of the suspect messages.</p> <p>Once you click through, you’ll be asked to enter login details and billing info. “These details will again be stolen by the criminal and will likely be used for their personal financial gain or sold on the dark web,” MailGuard warns.</p> <p>Space, software and politics expert @oferzelig deliberately went through all the steps to find out what happens, and then published the very disturbing results on Twitter.</p> <p>“A new ‘You have a message from myGov’ scam. I entered the link using a safe sandbox as I was curious,” he wrote. </p> <p>“They mimicked all the major Aussie banks' login pages, the bastards. So many non-technical people will fall for this, unfortunately 😢”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">A new "You have a message from myGov" scam. I entered the link using a safe sandbox as I was curious.</p> <p>They mimicked all the major Aussie banks' login pages, the bastards.</p> <p>So many non-technical people will fall for this, unfortunately 😢<a href="https://twitter.com/troyhunt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@troyhunt</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZJ25x9XuoZ">pic.twitter.com/ZJ25x9XuoZ</a></p> <p>— 𝓞𝓯𝓮𝓻 𝓩𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓰 🚀💻 🇦🇺 🇮🇱 (@oferzelig) <a href="https://twitter.com/oferzelig/status/1610200580076769281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>Services Australia, which delivers myGov, is aware of the scam and urged Australians to be on the alert. “We will never send you an email or SMS with a hyperlink directing you to sign in to your myGov account,” it says.</p> <p>“If you get an email like this, don’t open any links, download attachments or respond.</p> <p>“We’ll never ask you to open a link or a file attached to an email.”</p> <p>“When you are signed in to myGov, the messages in your myGov Inbox are secure. It’s safe to open links included in myGov Inbox messages,” it says.</p> <p>Check out all of the images below to see just how convincing the fake pages are – and please be extra cautious!</p> <p><em>Images: Twitter</em></p> <p> </p> <p> </p>

Money & Banking

When will the scams end? Kochie issues yet another warning against scammers

<p>David Kochie has warned people to beware of the latest scams using his identity in an attempt to steal their money.</p> <p>David "Kochie" Koch took to Instagram to share screenshots of various posts using his image and scandalous headlines to try and get people to click on the link.</p> <p>"Beware… 2023 and the financial scams keep on coming more than ever. The one on the left came up on @realestateaus as I was scrolling the site," he wrote.</p> <p>"They are scams trying to con you by illegally using my image and attributing fictitious comments to me".</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CnGHzV8SfZi/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CnGHzV8SfZi/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Kochie_Online (@kochie_online)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>This is not the first the time Kochie has warned people against scams, with ads popping up in the most unexpected apps.</p> <p>Last October, he posted an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CjML6A1vzru/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=c93eb79a-9d48-4801-bcfb-2e2051402574" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram post </a>captioned, "These scammers are getting out of control. My daughter’s friend in the UK was checking her weather app of all things… and up pops a scam ad. BEWARE".</p> <p>One follower commented that she saw a scam of him getting arrested but his image was "all blurred out".</p> <p>A few other followers shared their opinion on the ongoing problem.</p> <p>"Instagram and Facebook have the ability to stop all these scams! They seem to choose not to," one complained.</p> <p>"The problem is people still fall for these scams, I don't understand how that happens," another noted.</p> <p><em><span style="color: var(--primary-text-color); font-family: var(--font-family); font-size: 16px;">Image Credit: Instagram</span></em></p> <div class="post-action-bar-component-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="post-actions-component" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible;"> <div class="upper-row" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 8px 16px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; align-items: center; height: 24px;"> <div class="right-box-container" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; display: flex; justify-content: flex-end; color: #323338; font-family: Roboto, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff;"> <div class="post-editor-container" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Money & Banking

Kochie blasts online scammers using his identity

<p>David "Kochie" Koch has blasted the government for an urgent response to the drastic rise in online scammers. </p> <p>Speaking with the Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones on <em>Sunrise</em>, Kochie was fired up when he shared that his identity has been used online to scam people "for years".</p> <p>Kochie predicted that Australians have lost over $4 billion to scammers in 2022 so far, with Jones saying that number is probably larger than first estimated. </p> <p>A furious Kochie responded, "What are you going to do about it? Because look, scammers have been using my photo and dodgy quotes from me to scam people for years."</p> <p>"They appear on Facebook, they appear on LinkedIn... and I can do nothing about it."</p> <p>Recalling a recent issue with a scammer, Kochie continued, "I had a bloke on the weekend contact me through Facebook, abusing me because he'd lost $30,000 on a scam that used my picture and dodgy comments from me."</p> <p>Assistant Treasurer Jones went on to say that the law currently doesn't allow for punishments of online media when it comes to scams, but the government is pushing to amend such legislation. </p> <p>He said, "We need to drag the law into the 21st century... Social media platforms need to be accountable for the material they are publishing."</p> <p>Kochie said that was "music to his ears", saying that "not only are people losing thousands of dollars, but it damages my reputation. I seem photo online saying things saying things I never said about bitcoin or whatever, and people lose money because they think it's me."</p> <p>Assistant Treasurer Jones assured Kochie that the government will be cracking down on these "economic criminals at the source", with Kochie again saying, "It's just heart-breaking for our viewers who get sucked in by these sorts of things."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Sunrise</em></p>

Money & Banking

COVID-19 virus-detecting mask can alert of exposure via your smartphone

<p>Move over <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/covid/rise-of-rapid-antigen-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">inaccurate RATs</a>. Get out of my nose and throat PCR swab tests. There’s a new method of COVID-19 detection and it’s wearable.</p> <p>A research team from Tongji University in China, has created a face mask that can detect COVID-19 (as well as other common respiratory viruses such as colds and influenza) and send an alert to your smartphone.</p> <p>The mask is highly sensitive, with the inbuilt sensor able to detect the virus <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/lets-clear-the-air-on-ventilation-cosmos-weekly-taster/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in the air</a> after only ten minute’s exposure at extremely low concentrations – far less than produced by sneezing, coughing or talking.</p> <p>“Previous research has shown face mask wearing can reduce the risk of spreading and contracting the disease. So, we wanted to create a mask that can detect the presence of virus in the air and alert the wearer,” says Yin Fang, an author of the study and a material scientist at Shanghai Tongji University.</p> <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p214217-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> <form class="wpcf7-form mailchimp-ext-0.5.62 spai-bg-prepared init" action="/science/covid-19-detecting-mask-smartphone/#wpcf7-f6-p214217-o1" method="post" novalidate="novalidate" data-status="init"> <p style="display: none !important;"><span class="wpcf7-form-control-wrap referer-page"><input class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text referer-page" name="referer-page" type="hidden" value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/" data-value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/" aria-invalid="false" /></span></p> <p></form> </div> </div> <p>The sensor on the mask has tiny synthetic molecules – called ‘aptamers’ – which are able to be tweaked to detect proteins unique to specific pathogens, such as SARS-Cov-2, H5N1 (colloquially known as ‘bird flu’) and H1N1 (‘swine flu’). Once the aptamer detects the virus, the sensor amplifies the signal via a specialised component known as an <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344400852_Ion-Gated_Transistor_An_Enabler_for_Sensing_and_Computing_Integration" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ion-gate transistor</a> (which is highly sensitive and able to detect very low voltage signals) and sends an alert to the user’s phone.</p> <p>“Our mask would work really well in spaces with poor ventilation, such as elevators or enclosed rooms, where the <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/covid-ventilation-standards/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">risk of getting infected is high</a>,” Fang says. The device is also highly customisable and can be swiftly modified to detect new and emerging threats.</p> <p>This is not the first time <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/smart-masks-to-detect-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">‘smart masks’ have been created</a> to detect COVID-19, but what sets these devices apart is their sensitivity and ‘tunability’ to different viruses.</p> <p>The team is working on reducing the detection time and increasing the sensitivity of their devices. In the future, they hope the technology could be expanded to further applications and wearables for other conditions such as cancers and heart diseases.</p> <p>“Currently, doctors have been relying heavily on their experiences in diagnosing and treating diseases. But with richer data collected by wearable devices, disease diagnosis and treatment can become more precise,” Fang says.</p> <p></p> <p><img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=214217&title=COVID-19+virus-detecting+mask+can+alert+of+exposure+via+your+smartphone" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p></p> <div id="contributors"> <p><em><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/covid-19-detecting-mask-smartphone/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/clare-kenyon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Clare Kenyon</a>. Clare Kenyon is a science journalist for Cosmos. An ex-high school teacher, she is currently wrangling the death throes of her PhD in astrophysics, has a Masters in astronomy and another in education. Clare also has diplomas in music and criminology and a graduate certificate of leadership and learning.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p> </div>

Technology

The latest polio cases have put the world on alert. Here’s what this means for Australia and people travelling overseas

<p>Until recently, polio had only been detected in a handful of countries, thanks to global eradication efforts.</p> <p>But this year’s polio alerts in the United States, United Kingdom and Israel are a reminder that as long as poliovirus is found anywhere, it is a potential problem everywhere. </p> <p>That could include Australia.</p> <p>Here’s what the latest polio cases mean for Australia – including under-vaccinated communities and people travelling internationally.</p> <h2>The US case</h2> <p>In July this year, a young man in Rockland County, New York, developed paralysis and was diagnosed with polio, the <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2022/07/21/n-y-state-detects-polio-case-first-in-the-u-s-since-2013/">first US case since 2013</a>.</p> <p>He had never been vaccinated against polio, which is not uncommon among <a href="https://forward.com/news/512089/polio-rockland-county-new-york-vaccine-orthodox-jew/">Orthodox Jewish people</a> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8549591/">in some countries</a>. Rockland County has the highest percentage of Orthodox Jewish people in the US. Currently, only <a href="https://health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/polio/county_vaccination_rates.htm">about 60%</a> of children in the county are vaccinated against polio, compared with <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/immunize.htm">more than 90%</a> nationally.</p> <p>As of August 12, poliovirus was <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/about/press/pr2022/nysdoh-and-nycdohm-wastewater-monitoring-finds-polio-urge-to-get-vaccinated.page">still being detected</a> in sewage in New York City and other counties in New York State, indicating the virus is still circulating in the community.</p> <p>The reason there have been no further cases of paralysis reflects the fact that only around <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/poliomyelitis">one in 200 people</a> infected by the virus develops paralysis.</p> <h2>A child in Israel</h2> <p>One <a href="https://twitter.com/propublica/status/1558140096028737539">indirect link</a> to the New York man may be in Jerusalem where, in March 2022, poliovirus <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2022-DON366">was found</a> in sewage and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-022-01201-0">one case</a> of paralysis occurred in an unvaccinated child.</p> <p>Vaccination rates among Ultra-Orthodox Jewish people in Israel have been historically low, including <a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-middle-east-religion-israel-557e9d18f3f78f4fc141eeddaaefb8eb">low uptake</a> of COVID vaccines.</p> <h2>UK ramps up vaccination</h2> <p>In June this year, the UK government <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/poliovirus-detected-in-sewage-from-north-and-east-london">reported</a> wastewater surveillance in north and east London between February and May had identified poliovirus on consecutive occasions. </p> <p>This indicated a provisional “silent” outbreak and prompted health officials to instigate catch-up vaccination campaigns. No cases of paralysis have been reported.</p> <p>This is reminiscent of an earlier “silent” outbreak of polio in 2013-2014 when, after decades without a case, Israel <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1808798115">detected</a> poliovirus in wastewater samples in many areas, mainly in southern regions.</p> <p>Stool surveys indicated the outbreak was restricted mainly to children under the age of ten in the Bedouin population of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27334457/">southern Israel</a>. The virus originated in Pakistan and arrived in Israel via Cairo and then, probably, through Bedouin communities in Egypt and Israel.</p> <h2>Hang on, hasn’t polio been eradicated?</h2> <p>It’s tempting to think polio has been eradicated. </p> <p>The last case of locally acquired polio in Australia <a href="https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/cda-pubs-cdi-2002-cdi2602-cdi2602l.htm">was in 1972</a>. Australia was declared polio-free on October 29, 2000, along with the other 36 countries in the Western Pacific Region of the World Health Organization. The last case reported in Australia <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2660702/">was in 2007</a>, when a student contracted the infection in Pakistan.</p> <p>The <a href="https://polioeradication.org/">Global Polio Eradication Initiative</a>, launched in 1988, successfully eliminated wild poliovirus from all but two countries – Pakistan and Afghanistan – where in recent years there have been very few cases. </p> <p>In <a href="https://polioeradication.org/where-we-work/afghanistan/">Afghanistan</a>, there were four cases last year and one so far this year. In <a href="https://polioeradication.org/where-we-work/pakistan/">Pakistan</a>, there was one case in 2021 and 14 so far this year.</p> <p>The recent cases and wastewater detected polioviruses in the UK, US and Israel are not the wild variety. Instead, they are derived from the oral polio vaccine.</p> <p>When a child receives a dose of the oral vaccine, they excrete the virus in the stool for several weeks. In very rare cases, the vaccine-derived virus mutates to a form that causes paralysis. This form is called a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV). This occurs only in populations where polio vaccine coverage is low.</p> <p>Just recently, cVDPV was reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique and Yemen, as well as in wastewater in five other countries.</p> <p>Australia, like all high-income countries, does not use the oral polio vaccine. Instead, children receive <a href="https://immunisationhandbook.health.gov.au/contents/vaccine-preventable-diseases/poliomyelitis">injectable inactivated polio vaccine</a>, which prevents paralysis but does not prevent transmission of the virus. </p> <p>This is why so-called silent outbreaks can occur in countries that use the injectable vaccine. This is when the virus spreads from child to child but does not cause paralysis.</p> <h2>What are the implications for Australia?</h2> <p>Given Australia’s open international borders, there is no reason why someone who has recently received the oral polio vaccine wouldn’t enter the country and excrete the virus.</p> <p>In Australia, at the age of five, <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/node/38782/childhood-immunisation-coverage/current-coverage-data-tables-for-all-children#five-year-olds">about 95% of children</a> are fully vaccinated against polio. </p> <p>However, there are places with lower vaccine coverage, such as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/aug/14/when-covid-came-to-the-anti-vax-capital-of-australia">Byron Shire</a> in northern New South Wales, with lower rates of childhood vaccination, including against polio.</p> <p>This vaccine-hesitant community is vulnerable to the introduction of polio and has had cases of diphtheria, whooping cough, measles and tetanus in recent years.</p> <p>Unlike some other Orthodox Jewish communities overseas, there is no evidence this community in Australia is more vaccine hesitant than other Australians.</p> <h2>How do we look out for cases?</h2> <p>For years, wastewater monitoring has been routinely implemented in many countries. This acts as an early warning system to identify and rapidly mitigate the spread of many pathogens, <a href="https://theconversation.com/sewage-surveillance-is-the-next-frontier-in-the-fight-against-polio-105012">including poliovirus</a>, hepatitis viruses and, recently, SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID).</p> <p>At wastewater treatment facilities, sewage from an entire region is combined. This allows scientists to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-022-01201-0">detect pathogens</a> at the population level and before anyone presents with symptoms.</p> <p>In December 2017, Victoria’s environmental testing program <a href="https://www.health.vic.gov.au/media-releases/health-surveillance-system-detects-poliovirus">detected</a> a rare type of poliovirus in pre-treated sewage from the Western Treatment Plant in Melbourne. </p> <p>No cases of paralytic polio were detected but all Victorians up to the age of 19 were offered three doses of vaccine, free of charge, as part of catch-up arrangements.</p> <p>Australia’s poliovirus infection outbreak response plan <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2022/05/poliovirus-infection-outbreak-response-plan-for-australia.pdf">focuses on</a> clinical surveillance (where health workers report suspected cases to health authorities) and laboratory investigations of people who present with acute paralysis. </p> <p>While the plan refers to examples of wastewater surveillance overseas, it does not propose a specific strategy in Australia. </p> <p>Other than Victoria, it is not clear where wastewater polio surveillance is being conducted in Australia.</p> <h2>What happens next?</h2> <p>Australia is just as vulnerable to importations of poliovirus – both wild and vaccine-derived – as any other country.</p> <p>Australia should ensure routine wastewater surveillance for poliovirus is conducted, at least in metropolitan areas.</p> <p>Community-based vaccination campaigns should be sensitively conducted in vaccine-hesitant communities, such as in Byron Shire, to achieve high coverage.</p> <p>Education should also be provided through GPs to parents planning to travel to Jerusalem, New York City and Rockland County. They should ensure all travelling family members are fully vaccinated against polio. Visitors to Israel may be able to access a dose of oral polio vaccine in that country for their children (which will prevent them being infected) but this is not available in the US.</p> <p>Poliovirus enters the body through the mouth, usually from hands contaminated with the stool of an infected person. So parents should also pay special attention to their children’s hand hygiene, particularly if travelling overseas to any of the locations mentioned.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-latest-polio-cases-have-put-the-world-on-alert-heres-what-this-means-for-australia-and-people-travelling-overseas-188989" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p> <div style="caret-color: #000000; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; --tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; 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color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; --tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgba(51,168,204,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; background-color: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 18px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </p> <div style="caret-color: #000000; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; --tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgba(51,168,204,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; background-color: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1559646185324953601"}"> <div style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; 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Travel Tips

Scam alert: Kmart customers targeted in bargain hunting Facebook groups

<p>Kmart customers have been warned about a new scam circulating in bargain hunting Facebook groups.</p> <p>They have been warned to watch for advertisements offering Nintendo Switches for $2.95.</p> <p>The fake Facebook post has been circulating in parents' groups online and has already fooled a number of Aussies into handing their card details over.</p> <p>The post includes a photograph showing a doctored Kmart price tag displaying that the gaming device has been reduced from $379.86 to $2.95.</p> <p>It also claims that the lower price point is due to a contract dispute between Kmart and Nintendo.</p> <p>Not only is this is factually incorrect, but it is one of the first signs something is obviously fake, as it is too-good-to-be-true.</p> <p>“Kmart broke its contract with Nintendo and is giving away a Nintendo Switch game console to every Australian for $2.95,” the caption on the scam post reads.</p> <p>One shopper claimed her friend had lost $700 after falling for the scam, as the fraudsters took her bank details and withdrew money.</p> <p>“BEWARE. Another scam page going around, also there is a Dyson one,” she said.</p> <p>“Do not fall for it. Friend did and has lost around $700. They just keep taking from your bank. Can't stop it unless you email them and threaten with lawyers.”</p> <p>“Unfortunately I was one of those people who thought it was real,” another woman said.</p> <p>Some believe the advertisement is so fake it's the consumers fault that they fell for it in the first place.</p> <p>“Phishing messages are designed to look genuine, and often copy the format used by the organisation the scammer is pretending to represent, including their branding and logo,” ACCC's Scamwatch website said.</p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Money & Banking

Scammers target flood victims in new low

<p dir="ltr">In the aftermath of the floods that have devastated much of northern NSW and Queensland, those affected have something else to worry about - scammers.</p> <p dir="ltr">As Aussies begin to rebuild their homes and businesses, many are filing insurance claims.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-c2c3bdc9-7fff-9886-2c93-8fe7954d3572"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">But, reports have begun to emerge of scammers trying to take advantage of flood victims by posing as insurance providers.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CavpKLzhHqI/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CavpKLzhHqI/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Ali King MP (@aliforpumicestone)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Ali King, the MP of Pumicestone in Queensland, said she received a text from an alleged scammer who claimed they would help with her insurance claim after the floods.</p> <p dir="ltr">The only problem was that she didn’t make a claim.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I got a text today from someone assigned to help me with my insurance claim. I don’t have an insurance claim,” she said on Instagram.</p> <p dir="ltr">Stephen Jones, the MP for Whitlam, also took to social media, using King’s tweet to warn those who may become victims of scammers on top of the floods.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-deefd467-7fff-c7da-1b06-0d27bc8f81ff"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“We’ve seen the best of Australia in the huge outpouring of support for those affected by these devastating floods,” he wrote.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thanks <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenJonesMP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StephenJonesMP</a> - we need better laws to deal with these grubs. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/auspol?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#auspol</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/QLDFloods2022?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#QLDFloods2022</a> <a href="https://t.co/FD2vjI9pxg">https://t.co/FD2vjI9pxg</a></p> <p>— Ali King MP (@AliKingLabor) <a href="https://twitter.com/AliKingLabor/status/1501017186537975813?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“But scammers posing as insurance agents are looking to exploit people trying to pick up the pieces of their lives.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Look out for suspicious messages and phone calls. Share information with your communities so they know what to watch out for.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Working together we can stop these scammers from taking advantage of yet another tragedy.”</p> <p dir="ltr">A spokesperson for the ACC told <em><a href="https://7news.com.au/technology/scammers-posing-as-insurance-providers-target-flood-victims--c-5961535" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a></em> that they were yet to see reports of the scams, but still urged Aussies to remain cautious.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the ACCC, here are several things people can do to protect themselves from scams: </p> <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Don’t click on hyperlinks in texts, social media messages or emails, even if it appears to come from a trusted source</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Never reply to unsolicited messages asking for personal or financial details</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">To determine if a contact is legitimate, look them up through an independent source such as a phone book or online search</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Never send money or personal information, such as credit card details, to anyone you don’t know or trust</p> </li> </ul> <p dir="ltr">If you believe you have fallen victim to a scam, contact your bank and consider lodging a complaint with the <a href="https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.afca.org.au%2F&data=04%7C01%7CSuWoolley%40seven.com.au%7Cc6008f2b54f04dd1bfb008d9df928a4c%7Cb359291241554399b790752c894d2935%7C0%7C0%7C637786642752505908%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0&sdata=34rdRdW3WEJ0j6pj0PBqVm4Ixxy91pCjrwwk7LQSoME%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australian Financial Complaints Authority</a> if you’re not satisfied with the bank’s response.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-b6aeeb2b-7fff-ee91-d153-74beb6345dcf"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Technology

Young girl found after Amber Alert issued

<p dir="ltr">A young girl has been found safe and well after an Amber Alert was issued overnight.</p> <p dir="ltr">The five-year-old disappeared from Kingston, a suburb in the city of Logan in Queensland’s south east.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-35a7b9e1-7fff-4a91-2c59-90c1276b235a">Queensland Police issued a <a href="https://mypolice.qld.gov.au/news/2022/03/03/final-amber-alert-kingston/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">final update</a> on Thursday morning, confirming the little girl had been found and thanking the public and media for their assistance.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">FINAL AMBER ALERT, KINGSTON - The 5yo girl subject of an Amber Alert yesterday (March 2) has been located safe and well. The media and public are thanked for their assistance <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/amberalertKingston?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#amberalertKingston</a> <a href="https://t.co/H9OWzYNt47">pic.twitter.com/H9OWzYNt47</a></p> <p>— Queensland Police (@QldPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/QldPolice/status/1499140137598349312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The initial Amber Alert was issued after the child went missing on Wednesday afternoon, after a man known to her put her in the back of a car which was driven away by a second person.</p> <p dir="ltr">Police released <a href="https://www.river949.com.au/news/local-news/127288-amber-alert-urgent-assistance-to-locate-5-year-old-girl-missing-from-kingston" target="_blank" rel="noopener">images</a> of the young girl and of Kaitlyn Compton, who they believed was with the child.</p> <p dir="ltr">Concerned comments flooded the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/QueenslandPolice/posts/322426419918217" target="_blank" rel="noopener">update</a> shared by Queensland Police on social media on Thursday, with many sharing their relief at the news.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Great work to all our Police Officers,” one person shared.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Such good news in troubling times,” another wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Located safe & well! Thank goodness,” a third commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That’s great news 👍. Well done QPS 👏,” another user said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The welcome news comes as the area faces ongoing floods, with Logan City Council <a href="https://disaster.logan.qld.gov.au/Home/viewnews?title=City%20of%20Logan%20flood%20update%20Wednesday,%20March%202" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reporting</a> that at least 59 homes were inundated and 200 roads were closed on Wednesday.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-84eb2075-7fff-6480-b6c9-1b3fc0e1fd27"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: River 94.9 (Facebook)</em></p>

Caring

West responds to Putin placing nuclear arsenal on high alert

<p>As tensions and fighting continue to escalate between Russia and Ukraine, the US and NATO have slammed Putin's decision to put Russia's nuclear forces on high alert.</p> <p>Speaking at a meeting with his top officials, Putin directed the Russian defence minister and the chief of the military's General Staff to put the nuclear deterrent forces in a "special regime of combat duty."</p> <p>The Russian president also discussed the hard-hitting sanctions that have been placed on Russia, and Putin himself.</p> <p>"Western countries aren't only taking unfriendly actions against our country in the economic sphere, but top officials from leading NATO members made aggressive statements regarding our country," Putin said in televised comment.</p> <p>White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the dangerous move was part of a wider pattern of unprovoked escalation and "manufactured threats" from the Kremlin.</p> <p>"This is really a pattern that we've seen from President Putin through the course of this conflict, which is manufacturing threats that don't exist in order to justify further aggression — and the global community and the American people should look at it through that prism," Psaki told ABC's George Stephanopoulos on '<em>This Week</em>'.</p> <p>She added, "This is all a pattern from President Putin and we're going to stand up for it, we have the ability to defend ourselves, but we also need to call out what we're seeing here from President Putin."</p> <p>In reaction to the nuclear alert, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told CNN, "This is dangerous rhetoric. This is a behaviour which is irresponsible."</p> <p>Given that Russia, as well as the US, typically have both land and submarine-based nuclear forces on alert for combat at all times, the practicality of Putin's order is not yet clear. </p> <p>As the conflict only continues to grow with Moscow troops drawing closer to Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that a delegation would meet in an undisclosed location on the Belarusian border to discuss peace talks. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

News

Sunrise hosts on high alert

<p>The hosts of <em>Sunrise</em> are reportedly concerned about a "rat" in the Channel Seven studios, after <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/caught-out-leaked-audio-as-channel-7-stars-slam-novak">off-air footage went viral</a> of <em>7News</em> reported calling Novak Djokovic an "a**hole".</p> <p>Natalie Barr and David Koch, who are based in the Sydney offices of the Seven Network, are said to be worried that a "rat" could also leak their private conversations, according to the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-10409349/Sunrise-Natalie-Barr-David-Koch-worried-rats-leaking-secrets.html">Daily Mail</a>.</p> <p>“Nat and Kochie would be wondering how many times they've had a private chat about something or someone, and will now be forced to watch every single word they say from here on in,” the source claimed, adding that “there’s a lot of backstabbing… in TV”.</p> <p>“Everyone on TV knows there's banter off-air, and when the cameras are on it's a whole other picture.”</p> <p>The leaked <em>7News</em> video went viral last week, as Channel Seven reporters Rebecca Maddern and Mark Amor discussed whether Novak Djokovic should be detained in Australia, after arriving for the Australian Open with an improper visa and vaccination exemption. </p> <p>In the footage, Rebecca remarked, <span>“Whatever way you look at it, Novak Djokovic is a lying, sneaky, a***hole,” as photos emerged of the tennis champion attending events in his native Serbia after testing positive for Covid-19. </span></p> <p>“It’s unfortunate that everybody else stuffed up around him. To go out when you know you’re Covid-positive - well, I don’t think he was even Covid-positive…”</p> <p>Mike also labelled Djokovic an “a***hole”, saying: “You’ve got a bulls**t f***ing excuse and then he fell over his own f***ing lies, which is what happens right?”</p> <p><span>After investigating how the footage emerged, the source of the leak was identified as an employee at the closed-captions company that works with Channel Seven, Ai-Media. </span></p> <p>“As a result of the investigation, Ai-Media has identified that an employee working remotely due to the COVID-19 outbreak was responsible for the unauthorised distribution of the content,” the company confirmed in a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange.</p> <p>“Appropriate action has been taken with regard to the employee responsible.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Sunrise</em></p>

NATIONAL RECALL: Aldi issues Listeria alert for popular cheese

<p><em>Image: News.com.au</em></p> <p>Aldi has issued an urgent national recall on two of its popular cheese products amid a suspected disease outbreak that could lead to illness in pregnant women.</p> <p>The popular supermarket chain announced a recall on Snackers Market Little Pickers Cubed Tasty Cheese and Mini Crackers (35g), and Little Pickers Cubed Tasty Cheese and Pretzels (40g) due to a suspected Listeria infection.</p> <p>Food Standards Australia and New Zealand said the cheese had been sold at Aldi stores nationwide, with the recall applying to all products marked with the use by dates up to the 3rd of February 2022.</p> <p>“Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice and should return the products to the place of purchase for a full refund,” Aldi said in its recall notice.</p> <p>This is the second cheese recall this week announced by FSA, with consumers being urged to avoid eating the Good To Go brand Tasty Cheese Salami and Cabanossi products from a range of IGA and Woolworths supermarkets and featuring certain use-by dates.</p> <p>A suspected Listeria infection is also at fault.</p> <p>Manassen Foods Australia said the Mild Salami Bite use-by dates of concern are December 21, 24, and January 13, while the Cabanossi dates are December 15 and 23.</p> <p>The products have been available for sale at Woolworths and independent grocery stores including IGAs in NSW, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, SA and WA.</p> <p>Monta Foods last week recalled its YBC Picola Strawberry 58.8g product because of an undeclared egg allergen.</p>

Food & Wine

Alert viewers spot Cabinet Minister's serious health condition on live TV

<p>NSW Cabinet Minister Victor Dominello made an urgent discovery about his own health after a number of concerned viewers alerted him to a major issue.</p> <p>The viewers noticed his "droopy eye" during the NSW State COVID-19 press conference on Wednesday so the Customer Service Minister sought medical advice and was diagnosed with Bell's palsy on Wednesday afternoon.</p> <p>The minister later posted on his Facebook account, saying he’d received this diagnosis at the Royal North Shore Hospital. Bell's palsy is a condition which causes a sudden weakness or paralysis in one side of the face.</p> <p>“At this morning’s press conference, a number of people commented on my droopy eye,” he wrote in his post.</p> <p>“Some people thought I was winking at the cameraman. Some thought I had a stroke.</p> <p><strong>“I have actually been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy.”</strong></p> <p>Minister Dominello continued in his post: “About 48 hours ago - I felt a pain in my skull behind my right ear. This morning I woke up with pins and needles on the right side of my tongue. But I did not notice any droopiness around my eye.</p> <p>I only took it more seriously this afternoon - after a number of people sent me a screenshot of the press conference and others contacted my office prompting me to seek urgent medical advice.</p> <p>Thanks to everyone who reached out .</p> <p>The reason I am posting is because hopefully it will remind people to look after their health.</p> <p>We are focussed on Covid but there are plenty of other health problems going on.</p> <p>If you have any health concerns - please get them looked after.</p> <p>Ps - thanks to staff at Royal North Shore - we are blessed to live in a country with this health system ”</p> <p>Bell’s Palsy is caused by inflammation or damage to the facial nerve which are thought to be linked to viral infections. It can be treated with oral steroids or antiviral medicine with complete recovery usually taking several months.</p> <p>Other symptoms include difficulty making facial expressions, drooping of one side of the mouth, difficulty eating, drooling, pain or sensitivity on the affected side of the body. Patients can also experience headaches and loss of taste.</p> <p>Anyone who develops these symptoms should seek medical treatment immediately.</p> <p><em>Photo: Facebook</em></p>

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