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SCAMwatch email alert: This Valentine’s Day, protect your heart when seeking love online [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

February 2015: This Valentine's Day, SCAMwatch is warning the online dating community to beware of any love interest who asks for money.

Signing up to dating websites has proven successful for many singles seeking a match. Unfortunately it has also proven popular among scammers who prey on people's vulnerabilities to steal their money, particularly around sentimental times of the year.

Scammers are experts at preying on people's weaknesses, and will spend months and even years grooming victims to lower their defences. Inevitably, the fraudster will spin a tall tale about why they suddenly need your financial help, ranging from medical emergencies to failed business ventures to needing to rebook flights to visit you.

Once victims realise that their admirer is actually a criminal, the emotional consequences can be devastating.

These scams can also pose a risk to your personal safety as scammers are often part of international criminal networks. Scammers have lured unwitting Australian victims overseas, putting people in dangerous situations that can have tragic consequences.

If you are looking for love online, don't let a scammer leave you broke and with a broken heart. If your online admirer asks for money, ask yourself: 'Do I really know who I'm dealing with?'

How the scam works

  • You meet someone online through a dating or social networking website whom you seem to just 'connect' with.
  • The person may have an appealing profile, claim to have similar likes and dislikes or have gone through similar experiences.
  • Your online admirer will soon ask you to communicate through a private channel such as via email or webcam.
  • After trust and a relationship is established, they will ask you for money to help cover costs associated with illness, injury, a family crisis or travel to see them.
  • Scammers will often disguise their request for money as a short term loan to help them out until they can get access to some other source of funds.
  • Regardless of the approach, the scammer will typically ask you to send them the money via wire transfer.
  • If you send them money, they will continue to ask for money to get out of other problems. Amounts requested may initially be small but tend to increase over time.
  • If you send money to a scammer – especially via a wire transfer – it is almost certainly gone forever.  Just as importantly, your heart may be broken and trust shattered.

Protect yourself

Think twice: Never provide your financial details or send funds to someone you've met online. Scammers particularly seek money orders, wire transfers or international funds transfer as it's rare to recover money sent this way.

Watch out: If an online admirer asks to communicate with you outside the dating website, such as through a private email address or over the phone, be very wary – scammers want you away from any safeguards that are in place on the site.

Search: Use the Google 'search by image' tool to check the authenticity of any photos provided by someone you met online as scammers often use fake photos they find online.

Avoid: Don't share photos or webcam of a private nature. The ACCC has received reports of scammers using this material to blackmail victims.

Report: If you think you have provided your financial details to a scammer, contact your bank or financial institution immediately. If you think you met a scammer through an online dating service, let the site operator know.

Report

You can report scams to the ACCC via the report a scam page on SCAMwatch or by calling 1300 795 995.

More information

In 2014 the ACCC conducted an internet sweep of the online dating industry to review:

  • compliance with the ACCC's Dating Industry Best Practice Guidelines, which were published in 2012 following a collaborative effort with online dating service providers as part of an industry working group; and
  • whether dating sites are being true and fair in their dealings with customers.

The sweep findings are available in the ACCC online dating industry report.

Stay one step ahead of scammers, follow @SCAMwatch_gov on Twitter or visit http://twitter.com/SCAMwatch_gov.

 

You have received this email because you have subscribed to receive SCAMwatch radar alerts on scams targeting Australians. These alerts are issued by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and can be viewed on its SCAMwatch website http://www.scamwatch.gov.au.

 

If you have any doubts about an email's source, verify the sender by independent means - use their official contact details to check the email is legitimate before clicking on links or opening attachments.

If you no longer want to receive SCAMwatch email alerts, please unsubscribe on the SCAMwatch website.

 

 

RACQ calls for cheaper registration to end fuel price rorts



QUEENSLANDERS are coughing up more to own their car than any other state, according to RACQ, which is now demanding change from Labor and the LNP.

The motoring group has released its "policy manifesto", which called on the next Queensland Government - whoever wins - to bring down the cost of registering the family car.

It is also pushing for the government to crack down on service stations that show a discounted cost of fuel instead of the real price, claiming it undermines industry competition.

The LNP froze registration fees when it took power in 2012, but RACQ executive manager Paul Turner said that the cost was still too high.

"The freeze saved motorists up to $44.40 over the last three years, but we still pay more than motorists in every other state," he said.

"How is it fair that Queenslanders pay $50 more a year to register the same four-cylinder car than Victorians? Or $200 a year more to register a medium car?"

RACQ wants both LNP and Labor to promise a three-year extension to the registration freeze, or to simply bring down the cost.

On service station pricing, RACQ has labelled the tactic of outlets showing off their discount fuel price as "misleading and fraudulent".

"Current fuel price signs outside fuel stations are, more often than not, a rort and cost motorists hundreds of dollars a year," Mr Turner said.

"Most petrol station signs show a highlighted discount price which is not available to many motorists. How can we have genuine competition in the fuel market if the prices on the signs are dependent on having the right voucher or making in-store purchases?"

Mr Turner said other states have address the signage issue and Queensland must follow suit.

Queensland consumers angry over mass mango dumpings in FNQ

Unsellable mangoes in Far North Queensland.
It's hard for anyone to imagine beautiful far north Queensland mangoes could be worth nothing.

After all, mangoes are the 'king of fruits', which is why consumers are so willing to pay top dollar for premium product. But what becomes of fruit that doesn't make the grade?

The sad reality this summer is tonnes and tonnes of mangoes have ended up on the scrapheap for no reason other than their appearance.

A loss of juicing contracts and a bumper season in the Mareeba-Dimbulah district resulted in tons of blemished fruit, that won't make the premium grade, being thrown out.

Mango grower Merryl Patane said it is a reflection of the market that thousands of mangoes will end up in a dry gully on their small farm, outside of Mareeba.

"There's nowhere else to put them. We need the cage for tomorrow for more fruit to be dumped," she said.

"It's very sad. Just visual, it's just looks. It's not affecting the flesh whatsoever. Apparently no-one will buy that."

There's nowhere else to put them. It's very sad. Just visual, it's just looks. It's not affecting the flesh whatsoever, apparently no-one will buy that.

The challenge of marketing fruit that does not "meet retail specification" has become more apparent following a steep decline in juicing contracts in recent years.

Australian Mango Industry Association president Robert Gray said it was a combination of less demand for blended juice products and the availability of much cheaper puree imported from countries such as Mexico, Brazil and India.

"Labour's a big component of our cost structure, plus we've got to transport the raw material often thousands of kilometres to where the product's processed. And in the case of mangoes, about half of that product is seed and skin."

"So yeah, we are an expensive producer of puree and we need to make sure we're developing markets for products where the benefits of our mangoes are better aligned with what consumers want."

But judging from the angry reaction by consumers on social media networks to photographs of mangoes destined to be dumped, that's not necessarily so.

Many have questioned why the fruit could not be processed, value-added or, at the very least, donated to charity. But Mr Gray said that is not so easy.

The quick fix would be saying 'look, let's just bundle this fruit up in boxes and send to market', but that's not going to work. You've got to identify the markets, develop the processes to get it to market and then grow those markets.

"A big percentage of this fruit is going through the processing channel because it doesn't have the legs to make it through the (fresh fruit) channel. It may be a little bit overripe or it may have a cut in the surface of the fruit that may cause issues through that channel," he said.

"The market for second grade and third grade through the retail channel this year has seen huge growth and we're continuing to drive that... and provide a value equation for consumers that inspires them to buy our products whether it's through ice-blocks, or frozen cheeks or products that have puree in them that have that unique, Australian flavour.

"It's not any easy job. The quick fix would be saying 'look, let's just bundle this fruit up in boxes and send to market', that's not going to work.

"You've got to identify the markets, develop the processes to get that product to market and then grow those markets."

But still the reality of the fresh fruit and vegetables that will never make it to the supermarket shelf because of its aesthetic shortcomings has struck a chord with many in the public. Many organisations such as OzHarvest's REAP program and Second Bite has emerged from grassroots initiatives aimed at tackling food waste.

A photo posted on social media networks of the Mareeba mangoes destined to be dumped evoked an outpouring of anger and disbelief at the senseless waste of a precious commodity.

Melbourne resident Katy Barfield was one of hundreds of people to respond on Twitter.

"We have so many people that I know who'd want access to that product. People who have children who go to school without anything in their lunchbox, families who are struggling to put food on the table," she tweeted.

"It is a disgrace. It's an absolute market failure when we've got farmers who cannot sell their beautiful, quality products and bring that to market for people who want to purchase it."

So incensed by food waste was Ms Barfield that she established her own business, Spade and Barrow, in Melbourne 18 months to find a market for what she describes as 'perfectly imperfect' produce.

The food system is absolutely broken. It takes exactly the same input costs to grow a wonky carrot as it does to grow a straight one. The farmer gets no compensation for that whatsover.
Katy Bradfield, Spade and Barrow

"I just realised that the food system is absolutely broken. It takes exactly the same input costs to grow a wonky carrot as it does to grow a straight one. The farmer gets no compensation for that whatsover and finds it hard to bring that product to market."

But even as a distributor of fresh food, Katy Barfield conceded she was not in a position to save the mangoes going to waste more than 4,000 kilometres away in Mareeba.

"One of the biggest challenges for us is logistics, actually getting that product to the various states and territories. We try to work as local as possible, so a lot of the farmers we're working with are within 100 kilometres of where we operate," she said.

"It's about collaboration. We're only going to solve these issues together."

Meanwhile, mango growers like Ross and Merryl Patane will work long hours in the oppressive far north Queensland summer, never knowing whether their efforts will be rewarded.

"If you have good quality and you can get it into the chain stores, you'll do okay with price, but there's a lot of fruit out there, so hopefully our quality will get us over the line," said Mrs Patane.

Irish scammers have visas cancelled and kicked out of Australia

A GROUP of alleged scammers will be kicked out of Australia.

Police found more than $120,000 and a treasure trove of expensive jewellery and luxury goods during raids at Hazelmere in Western Australia.

Police and Department of Immigration and Border Protection said 24 Irish nationals were allegedly charging vulnerable aged people massive amounts for roof fixing and other home repair jobs when the work wasn't needed.

The DIBP cancelled 24 visas.

Seven people were arrested and the DIBP detained 19 others in the sting.

"The scam involved convincing vulnerable people to part with substantial amounts of money to fix roofing or other home maintenance issues," Border Protection Assistant Minister Michaelia Cash said.

"The work was then not completed or even required in the first place."

"Those individuals who have had their visas cancelled are now currently in detention while the department makes arrangements for their removal from Australia."

Queensland consumers cash in on refunds thanks to Office of Fair Trading


The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) returned $3.6 million worth of goods and services to consumers in 2014, including cars, air-conditioners, solar panels, caravans and jewellery.

The OFT addressed a total of 14,835 complaints during the year, resulting in $3.681 million worth of refunds for consumers.

"The OFT offers a conciliation service to help resolve disputes between consumers and businesses when issues arise with faulty products or poor service," Executive Director of OFT, Brian Bauer said.

"Queensland businesses generally do the right thing and only a fraction of marketplace transactions ever come to OFT's attention," he said.

"If something does go wrong with a product a consumer has bought, the business has a legal responsibility to put the problem right."
Fair Trading returns $3.6M

Mr Bauer said even if a customer had a bad experience with a product, a willingness to sort out the problem could turn that experience into a positive one.

"Sometimes though, a consumer and business can't resolve a dispute and that's where OFT can help," he said.

When a consumer makes a complaint, the OFT assesses it and, if the information provided suggests the consumer might be entitled to redress, will contact the business on their behalf to attempt to negotiate a solution.

"Although the OFT cannot force a business to give a consumer a refund or replacement, over 92 per cent of cases were satisfactorily resolved in 2014," Mr Bauer said.

The top industries complained about in 2014 were personal and household goods, like furniture, electronics or whitegoods; motor vehicle servicing and repairs; motor vehicle sales; real estate agents; and, personal and household services, such as beauty, cleaning, repair or home maintenance services.

Conman Pastor Steve Jones will have plenty of time in the slammer to pray for the people he ripped off

Pastor Steve Jones - conman extraordinaire.
Notorious Gold Coast conman Pastor Steve Jones has this evening been sentenced to three years in prison, but will be eligible for parole within 13 months over a solar power scam which saw him net hundreds of thousands dollars from trusting families.

During today's court appearance, Jones' full criminal history was revealed – dating back to 1978.

As well as fraud, Jones has also committed indecent exposure offences over a period of 20 years, he has also faced multiple theft charges as well as causing malicious injury.

Jones has also been convicted for conducting an unregistered charity and falsifying books, a scam which netted him $21,000.

The pastor was today sentenced for a 2010-11 fraud, which saw him fleece an estimated $400,000 from hundreds of Queensland families who he promised to install solar panels for.
Instead, the conman stole their deposits, pocketing $900 from each customer.

Today his lawyer told the court Pastor Steve was suffering depression and that his indecency offences were a matter of "trying to prove oneself where inadequacy lies."

One woman has detailed her ordeal with Jones to A Current Affair.

Professional carer Maree Putuwai claims she was duped by the fraudster, after responding to a Gumtree advertisement allegedly posted by Jones' mother, looking for someone to care for her son who had been injured in a workplace accident.

Ms Putuwai told A Current Affair, they exchanged a series of emails, where Jones was described as "shy" and needing someone "he could trust."

The carer was told when she came for the job interview, she would be required to wash Jones to see if she could handle a "showering moment with him."

But when that moment came, she was told by Jones to wash him in a specific area.

"I started washing him in the shower and then he was like, 'you've got to get right in… like your head has to be right there," Ms Putuwai recounted.

"He's like 'don't worry, because I can't feel anything.' But I should have been more clever than that."

Ms Putuwai said she became more uncomfortable and left when asked for more massages.

The experience has left her disgusted and embarrassed.

"I don't want to care for anyone because of what happened with me there," she said.

Read more:  http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/02/11/18/43/pastor-steve-jones-sentenced-to-a-maximum-three-years-in-jail-for-solar-panel-scam#FMAkbmVYvKM5uMl4.99

Cabbies acting illegally in refusing short rides

There is one answer for this illegal bastardry by cab drivers: Jump in, refuse to get out.  If the driver calls the police, explain politely to the police officer that the driver is breaking the law and ask the police officer to commence legal proceedings against the driver.  You will driven to your destination quicker than the driver can say: "You f%$&*@g b+"%h".


Communify chief  Karen Dare, Zana Vasikic
 from Ashgrove and volunteer driver
Rachael Laffey at Bardon. 
Elderly at mercy of cabbies who won’t collect them.

SOME of Brisbane’s taxis are stranding the city’s elderly by refusing to take them on short trips and collect them from suburbs such as The Gap.

Brisbane woman Peta Van Deyl said she saw the effect of a cab refusing a short fare at Brighton recently.

“I saw an elderly couple walking along and I thought it was a bit hot for them to be walking. I dropped something in a friend’s letterbox, came back around the corner and saw that the man had taken a fall and he had a bleeding face and hands,” she said.

“They said they were at a podiatrist’s appointment and they’d called a cab but no-one would come because the fare wasn’t big enough.”

Ms Van Deyl said the man had Parkinson’s, a deep laceration to the back of his hand, and had taken skin off his nose and cheekbone.

“I’m doing occupational therapy as a degree and the people who are likely to call a cab to travel less than a kilometre are the ones who really need it.”

Bardon community organisation Communify transports clients to do their shopping, and chief executive Karen Dare said they had also heard of taxis being unwilling to travel to Brisbane’s westside.

“We have received feedback from clients that taxis don’t like to drive ‘all the way out to The Gap and outer suburbs just to collect someone who wants a lift around the corner’,” she said.

“We also hear that the clients can be waiting up to an hour or more for the taxi to show, which is a major issue when they have a doctor and specialist appointments.”

An 89-year-old resident of The Gap - who didn’t want to be identified - said she used to do her shopping at The Gap until a taxi failed to show up to collect her.

“I rang the taxi phone then I went out the front and I waited and waited. I was there for 45 minutes at least,” she said.

The woman said she had heard from several people that cabs don’t like picking up from The Gap.

Mr Parker said Yellow Cabs also encouraged drivers to work the suburbs and not stick to the city, Fortitude Valley and airport.

“We have a reputation for being very tough on drivers. We’ve gone to a lot of trouble to work with drivers to get them to understand this company has a service culture, and we will not tolerate anybody who brings us into disrepute,” he said.

Mr Parker urged anyone with a similar complaint to come forward.

“They can make a report online, call us, or ring me personally if they wish because I’d like to hear about it,” he said.

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