Internet Warning: Hacked Facebook page leads to fake “open house” party

by Queensland Police Service

The importance of password security on social media was highlighted this week as more than 4000 people RSVP'd for an open house party in South Brisbane after a teenager's Facebook account was hacked.

Police were alerted via Twitter of the open invitation, and contacted the family who live at the address. They are not having a party this weekend, and were unaware their teenage son's Facebook page had been hacked.

 The boy's father said it was a lesson for all parents and teenagers who use social media.

"He told me that his account had been hacked into by some friends who advertised the party on Facebook.

 "When the numbers of people RSVPing to the party started to climb, he panicked and told us what had happened.

 "The first thing I thought of was, how am I going to be able to control this, because the numbers of people coming just kept climbing, it was crazy.

 "I told my son that he better tell everyone that the party wasn't happening and no-one was coming in the front gate."

 "This is a real eye opener for us. We immediately posted on-line that the party has been cancelled and the account had been hacked," the father said.

 Superintendent District Officer of Wynnum District, Jim Keogh said that police would be on hand to ensure that would-be party goers did not cause a disturbance at the address.

 "We're now seeing hackers promoting a party via social media that could have potentially seen thousands of people arrive at the residence and the occupant of the address being completely unaware until the event.

Anyone planning on attending the party advertised on Facebook at a private residence in South Brisbane should make other arrangements," Superintendent Keogh said.

'Trolling' and 'Spamming' can often arise from unauthorised access of social media accounts with the account holder's knowledge.

 'Trolling' is when individuals are deliberately provocative or offensive in order to provoke a reaction, often using other people's identity, while 'spamming' refers to the sending of bulk unsolicited messages via electronic messaging systems such as email, SMS, or social network messaging.

 

Red tape strangling flood claims from Premier's Disaster Relief fund - Queenslanders waiting weeks for payment

ANNA Bligh has promised to overhaul payments from her disaster fund after accusations it was being strangled by red tape.

Premier Bligh last night announced the overhaul after The Courier-Mail continued investigations into the apparent slow allocation of more than $220 million of funds.

A large team of public servants from the Communities Department will now be deployed to help fast-track cash payments to within 72 hours of claim approval.

Ms Bligh said late last night she made the decision after visiting the Lockyer Valley last Sunday and finding too many people had waited too long for payments.

For case studies of claims to the Premier's Disaster Relief fund see today's print edition of The Courier-Mail.

"I'm not satisfied with the speed in which this is happening so I directed my department to hold talks with Centrelink," she said. "There are now new arrangements in place."

Ms Bligh had not mentioned any restructure in media interviews yesterday as public anger grew about the administration of the fund.

The Communities Department will now verify homes were inundated within 48 hours of receiving the claim.

Centrelink will then pay out the money within 24 hours of that confirmation.

"This should dramatically speed up the payment process," Ms Bligh said.

"Additionally we have put in place new arrangements to speed up claims from the Lockyer Valley."

The change follows accusations only three public servants were dealing with thousands of applications for compensation from flood and cyclone damage.

Numerous Queenslanders seeking compensation from the fund have complained of hitting a bureaucratic brick wall.

Opposition Leader John-Paul Langbroek yesterday labelled the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal a bureaucratic disaster.

"It is our understanding there are just three people inside the Department of Premier and Cabinet handling applications," he said. "Ms Bligh has more staff assigned to marketing her media image than to assisting victims of the Queensland flood."

Centrelink, which is the central agency responsible for processing claims, last night said it had paid out more than 5600 out of 18,000 claims worth more than $13.1 million.

A Centrelink spokesman made it clear the hold-up in meeting further claims was from the State Government.

"Of the outstanding claims, the majority require further information from the Queensland Government before they can be finalised to ensure they meet the eligibility criteria set by the Queensland Government," he said.

"We understand that the Queensland Government is working hard to obtain this information quickly."

The estimated $220 million fund swells daily as more money arrives and interest estimated at around 6 per cent per annum pours in.

Frustrated Chelmer resident Kathryn Stafford said she had no one left to turn to after making 64 phone calls chasing her application for cash and being bumped between bureaucracies in two states.

"People have donated a lot of money to this fund and I'm sure they wouldn't like to hear that it's not getting to victims," she said. "There must be thousands of others like us."

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd warned more than a month ago the first problem governments would face in rebuilding Queensland was public frustration with red tape.

Following the Victorian bushfires Mr Rudd helped appoint "case managers" to steer disaster victims through the bureaucratic maze.

By March 13, 2009, just under five weeks after the Victorian bushfires struck, then-Victorian premier John Brumby announced more than $180 million of the Victorian fund which reached around $400 million had been allocated.

David Hamill, who heads the Queensland fund said its reach and responsibilities far exceeded the Victorian bushfires or Cyclone Larry.

Dr Hamill, who is not paid for his role, said potentially fraudulent claims along with the sheer volume of applications which have reached up to 1000 a day in the past fortnight was making the job challenging.

www.CourierMail.com.au

 

Another complaint about CGU, fast-emerging as Australia's worst insurance company

This email has been received by Queensland Consumer Watch:

 

"Thought you might be interested in my experience with CGU Insurance a couple of years ago. It was a relatively minor claim under Strata Title Insurance (lodged for me by a Commercial Body Corporate Manager). When I rang CGU to enquire about making a complaint, I was passed from person to person, all saying they didn't know who handled complaints. I asked for a copy of the Insurance Code of Conduct which their PDS said was available from them. They denied all knowledge of it. I pointed out they were breaching their own Code of Conduct outlined in the PDS. No knowledge of that either.
 
Then I rang the Assessor where I was told that the Assessor (I forget their name) was the same as CGU and had its employees sitting on their board.
 
Finally the Ombudsman resolved it for me.
 
Yes, this would have to be the most unprincipled insurance company I've ever dealt with and I was stuck with it. Thank God the Body Corporate Manager has now changed companies. This of course, brings us to another unprincipled supposedly "self-regulated" industry which is running riot, protected by vested interests. But that's another story."

 

.....................................................................................................................................................................................

CGU is emerging as the most-callous insurance company in Australia. Their treatment of their customers in the
aftermath of the recent Brisbane and Ipswich floods ranks as one of the low points in the Australian insurance
industry.  People buying insurance around Australia should be forever reminded of CGU's disgraceful performance.
 Why buy from CGU when all they say is: "F..U".

Footy fans to see more live games as Federal Government changes the law

 

Footy fans will be able to view games live on free-to-air multi-channels permanently, under legislation to go before parliament.

 

AFL and rugby league followers are often dismayed at having to watch delayed broadcasts of their favourite team.

 

But Communications Minister Stephen Conroy, a Collingwood supporter, said cabinet wanted multi-channels to show Friday night games live.

 

Advertisement: Story continues below "They're often shown at 11 o'clock at night, which is one of the complaints of footy fans in the Sydney and Brisbane markets," Senator Conroy told a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday night.

 

"We're putting in place the mechanism now to allow those matches to be shown on the multi-channels even prior to the legislation."

 

Making this arrangement permanent requires changing the Broadcast Services Act.

 

Legislation is expected to be introduced to parliament during the February and March sittings.

 

The government's updated anti-siphoning list began in January 2011.

 

Under the new rules, commercial networks are required to screen the AFL and NRL grand finals on their main channel.

 

But they do not have to screen as many games in a premiership round.

 

ABC current affairs viewers are also set to see changes in 2011 as the public broadcaster revamps its flagship 7.30 Report.

 

The renamed 7.30 is yet to go to air, as a new set is built.

 

Asked about the delay, ABC managing director Mark Scott said viewers were not left in a current affairs vacuum.

 

Independent senator Nick Xenophon sought an assurance that viewers in Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth and Hobart would have proper state-based coverage.

 

Mr Scott said that while Stateline would continue on Friday nights, the national 730 program would be mindful of local content.

 

"Certainly at other times during the week, to allow there to be a focus on appropriate state-based issues, we will have a mechanism where we ... measure local content," he said.

 

www.BrisbaneTimes.com.au

 

Anger mounts as NRMA rejects 'sunny day' flood claims as CGU plans to reject all flood claims

ONGOING BATTLE: Vivienne Chavez, wife of Chester Chavez,
is planning a campaign against NRMA insurance after being
knocked back for being victims of "sunny day flooding".

INSURER NRMA has told hundreds of anxious policy holders in southeast Queensland their claims for flood damage will not be honoured because they were victims of "sunny day flooding".

NRMA, which provides cover for riverine flood in NSW but not in Queensland, has been calling flood victims to tell them the bad news after late last week receiving a hydrology report for the whole of the Brisbane and Bremer river catchments.

The report, by engineering company WorleyParsons, has ruled out flash flooding for all but a handful of properties - where NRMA said it would send hydrologists for a closer inspection.

"We've assessed every claim that was made," an NRMA spokeswoman said.

"About 90 per cent have been given a decision. Declines are in the smaller portion."

The spokeswoman said the company had received an "overarching" hydrology report that showed that damage in the two catchments was "as a result of sunny-day flooding ... ie not as a result of stormwater damage".

Flood victim Chester Chavez, of Indooroopilly, received a phone call from NRMA on Friday denying his claim. Mr Chavez said there was about $100,000 worth of damage to his house and possessions caused during the floods. He and his wife earn too much to qualify for the Premier's Disaster Relief payments.

"We got $2340 and that's all we stand to get," he said.

"We haven't fallen through the cracks. I wouldn't call it that. I would say the Grand Canyon."

Mr Chavez now plans to campaign for a boycott of the company and to ask people to consider withdrawing their support for the Brisbane Broncos, who landed a three-year, multimillion-dollar sponsorship deal with NRMA in October.

NRMA received more than 3000 claims as a result of the floods. It refuses to disclose their dollar value or how many it has agreed to pay.

"We are trying to look to pay as many claims as possible under the policies." the spokeswoman said.

Meanwhile, RACQ, NAB and CommInsure have all set aside millions of dollars to make "ex-gratia" payments to policy holders who find themselves with inadequate or no cover after the floods.

NRMA's sister company CGU on Friday was the target of a demonstration by angry flood victims from west of Brisbane, who called for it to make a similar move.

CGU is expected to give its response on Tuesday but in a statement on Monday, it said: "Claims where the cause of damage is found to be flood will be rejected."

More flood news: www.CourierMail.com.au

COMMENT: If NRMA Insurance thinks it can abandon people with legal technicalities
over "Sunny Day" flood claims, maybe we should all give NRMA a bright "cheerio"
out of the insurance industry once and for all!

 

 

QLD Severe Thunderstorm Warning: Large Hail, Flash Flooding, Damaging Winds

QLD Severe Thunderstorm Warning: Large Hail, Flash Flooding, Damaging Winds Source: Bureau of Meteorology For people in the Southeast Coast and parts of the Central Highlands and Coalfields, Central West, Capricornia, Wide Bay and Burnett, Maranoa and Warrego and Darling Downs and Granite Belt Forecast Districts. Issued at 1:03 pm Monday, 21 February 2011. Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce damaging winds, very heavy rainfall, flash flooding and large hailstones in the warning area over the next several hours. Locations which may be affected include Warwick, Gold Coast, Toowoomba, Brisbane, Dalby, Roma, Charleville, Kingaroy and Stanthorpe. Emergency Management Queensland advises that people should: * Move your car under cover or away from trees. * Secure loose outdoor items. * Avoid driving, walking or riding through flood waters. * Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees. * Avoid using the telephone during a thunderstorm. * Beware of fallen trees and powerlines. * For emergency assistance contact the SES on 132 500. BoM Radar | Early Warning Network | Unsubscribe

District Court overturns speeding conviction: Police lose another case

A MOTORIST has had his conviction for speeding set aside after a judge
found there was a real chance the radar operator had recorded another
vehicle.

It was at least the sixth successful appeal by a Queensland motorist
against a speeding conviction involving the operation of radar devices
in the past 12 months.

In the Magistrates Court at Sandgate last year, John Frederick Toomer
was convicted of doing 81kmph in a 60kmph zone at Brighton, in
Brisbane's northeast, on May 1, 2009.

At a District Court hearing, Mr Toomer appealed his conviction on
eight grounds ranging from the magistrate did not give sufficient
weight to his evidence to the fact the policeman wore glasses and was
aged in his sixties.

In a written judgment, which became available today, Judge Nick Samios
upheld the appeal set aside the conviction and found Mr Toomer not
guilty.

Judge Samios found the substantial distance between Mr Toomer's
vehicle and the policeman operating the radar, combined with the
presence of other vehicles, made it possible there had been a mistake.

He said in those circumstances the magistrate should have had a
reasonable doubt that Mr Toomer was exceeding 60kmph.

Judge Samios added that in some other successful appeals against
conviction police had failed to provide proper certification to
operate radar.

He said, however, in this case he was satisfied the police officer was
properly accredited to operate the device.