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Beware of ‘tax hacks’ to maximise your return this year. The tax office is taking a close look at incorrect claims

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ann-kayis-kumar-466422">Ann Kayis-Kumar</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a> For many people a tax refund is a much-anticipated lump sum of money. So, it is understandable Australians will be looking for ways to maximise their returns – particularly we are in a cost-of-living crisis. But, whether you do your own return or use a tax agent, taking risks is not advised. <h2>Be wary of tax hacks</h2> But be wary of “tax hacks” you might hear about from online sources (I’m looking at you, <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/professional-services/tiktok-gst-fraud-hit-on-tax-office-blows-out-to-4-6b-20230813-p5dw2y">TikTok</a>). Two truisms spring to mind: 1. Don’t let the tax tail wag the dog Many tax hacks suggest you spend considerable money on purchases up front to claim tax deductions. But a tax deduction isn’t actually worth the value amount of your spend. For example: let’s say you’re on a taxable income of A$60,000 per year, which puts you roughly in the <a href="https://www.afr.com/politics/how-wealthy-are-you-compared-to-everyone-else-in-eight-charts-20221214-p5c6a8">50th percentile</a> of income earners and means your <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/tax-rates-and-codes/tax-rates-australian-residents#ato-Australianresidenttaxrates2020to2025">marginal tax rate is 32.5 cents</a>. You might spend $1,000 on a purchase in the hope of getting a sweet $1,000 tax deduction. However, you’re going to be $675 out of pocket. This is because that $1,000 deduction is only worth $325 (because tax is calculated on your taxable income, which is assessable income less allowable deductions). It will be worth even less next year because of the introduction of the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-27/stage-three-tax-cut-changes-pass-senate/103519338">revised Stage 3 tax cuts</a> and that’s a good thing because you’ll be paying less tax overall. 2. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is Even if you use a registered tax agent (and it’s important to check they are registered by checking <a href="https://www.tpb.gov.au/public-register">the Tax Practitioners’ Board</a>), it’s a common pitfall to think any aggressive deductions they might suggest are their responsibility if the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) comes knocking. That’s not the case. Taxpayers are responsible for errors in returns made by their tax agents, so the ATO will hold you responsible. Indeed, the <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/media-centre/ato-flags-3-key-focus-areas-for-this-tax-time">ATO has announced</a> it will be taking a close look at three common errors being made by taxpayers: <ul> <li> incorrectly claiming work-related expenses </li> <li> inflating claims for rental properties </li> <li> failing to include all income when lodging. </li> </ul> It might be tempting to think you’ve got away with over claiming deductions or under reporting income but the ATO has sophisticated systems to <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/About-ATO/Commitments-and-reporting/Information-and-privacy/How-we-use-data-and-analytics">analyse your data</a>) and track your claims. You’ll need to substantiate your claims, so keep records. If the tax office finds mistakes, you could face <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/paying-the-ato/interest-and-penalties/penalties/penalties-for-making-false-or-misleading-statements">financial penalties</a>, even jail time. Two months ago, a woman was sentenced to two years and six months jail and ordered to repay $39,600 after she lodged three fraudulent Business Activity Statements and received a GST refund to which she wasn’t entitled. While under investigation, she then sent eight false statements to the ATO and tried to claim more money. This is one on many individuals named on the <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/about-ato/tax-avoidance/the-fight-against-tax-crime/our-focus/refund-fraud/gst-refund-fraud-attempts/operation-protego">ATO’s website</a> highlighting the results of regular crackdowns. <h2>So, should I use a tax agent?</h2> There are nearly 20.5 million active tax file numbers registered to individuals in Australia and last tax year the ATO received 13.7 million individual tax return lodgements. This was a 3% increase on the previous year. Of these lodgements more than 5.6 million were lodged by self-preparers and more than 8 million were lodged by tax agents. It <a href="https://theconversation.com/does-paying-for-tax-advice-save-money-only-if-youre-wealthy-184641">makes sense</a> most Australians use agents to prepare and lodge their tax returns. It’s easier, less stressful, gives you confidence the job is being done right and saves time. Having said that, it does come at a price (see above on the value of deductions), and previous research which finds that <a href="https://theconversation.com/does-paying-for-tax-advice-save-money-only-if-youre-wealthy-184641">every extra dollar spent on a tax agent</a> only yields an estimated tax savings of 20 cents), and if you have simple tax affairs then it’s relatively easy and quick to do it yourself. <h2>How do I prepare my tax return?</h2> Generally, everyone should be lodging an income tax return each year (or, if you don’t need to lodge a tax return, lodging a non-lodgement advice). The ATO has a “Do I need to lodge a tax return?” tool <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/your-tax-return/before-you-prepare-your-tax-return/work-out-if-you-need-to-lodge-a-tax-return">if you’re unsure</a>. It also has a useful <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/your-tax-return/how-to-lodge-your-tax-return/lodge-your-tax-return-online-with-mytax">two minute video</a> which steps you through the process for lodging with their online system myTax. For those of us with simple tax affairs, you just need to follow these steps: <ol> <li> gather and prepare all your information regarding income from work, interest, dividends and any other income such as capital gains from crypto assets or sale of shares </li> <li> then gather and prepare all your information on deductions and work expenses to be claimed making sure you have the evidence to back up your claims. This can be in the form receipts, invoices, log books and diary entries </li> <li> if you are a self-preparer you can log onto your myGov or the ATO’s app to prepare and lodge your return. If you wait until late-July you’ll have the benefit of the ATO’s pre-filled data, too. This gives you plenty of time to make the October 31 deadline. </li> </ol> There’s also the option to use the ATO’s free, volunteer-run TaxHelp program (provided you meet the <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/your-tax-return/help-and-support-to-lodge-your-tax-return/tax-help-program">eligibility criteria</a>), your local Tax Clinic (<a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/financial-difficulties-and-disasters/support-to-lodge-and-pay/national-tax-clinic-program">details here</a>), or by seeking help from a registered tax agent. Just make sure you engage them before the October 31 deadline. <h2>Where it might get tricky</h2> But for others, for example if you have an ABN, it gets a bit more complicated. If you operate your business as a sole trader, you must lodge a tax return, even if your income is below the tax-free threshold. And if you have registered for GST – which you must do when your business or enterprise has a GST turnover of $75,000 or more, or if you are a taxi driver or Uber driver – then you will also need to submit quarterly BAS. It gets even more complicated for partnerships, trusts and companies, so it is best to seek the guidance and professional expertise of a registered tax agent, if you aren’t already. <h2>What if I can’t afford a tax agent?</h2> This year, many Australians are doing it tough. Indeed, research by the ASIC’s Moneysmart program estimates <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-04/asic-survey-millions-of-australians-facing-financial-difficulty/103926704">more than five million Australians</a> are in financial strife. Many people will find it hard to prioritise paying a registered tax agent when they cannot afford basic necessities like food. If you’re in this situation, you might find it useful to get in touch with a free financial counsellor via the <a href="https://ndh.org.au/">National Debt Helpline</a> or the <a href="https://sbdh.org.au/">Small Business Debt Helpline</a>. <h2>Don’t procrastinate</h2> Don’t put off doing your tax. If you’re behind, it might seem daunting to get back on track, especially if you think you’ll have to pay extra tax this year instead of getting a refund. But not lodging your returns will backfire. Like avoiding a trip to the doctor to get a skin check, the longer you wait, the more the problem will grow. Reaching out to the ATO is the key because they have tools to support you, including payment plans. It also shows the ATO that you are willing to comply. Ultimately, being up to date will save you fines, interest and penalties. If you are one of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/worried-youll-lodge-a-late-tax-return-at-least-80-000-australians-cant-afford-tax-advice-211267">80,000 Australians in serious hardship</a> who need but can’t afford professional help to complete and lodge overdue returns, the government-funded <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/General/Gen/National-Tax-Clinic-program/">National Tax Clinics Program</a> can help with free tax advice.<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/231693/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ann-kayis-kumar-466422">Ann Kayis-Kumar</a>, Associate Professor Ann Kayis-Kumar is the Founding Director of UNSW Tax and Business Advisory Clinic, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a> Image credits: Shutterstock 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/beware-of-tax-hacks-to-maximise-your-return-this-year-the-tax-office-is-taking-a-close-look-at-incorrect-claims-231693">original article</a>. </div>

Money & Banking

Why you should beware spending rewards and BNPL programs

Malware is software designed to disrupt and destroy, and there are plenty of ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’ financial programs doing just that to people’s financial futures. Some that come to mind are programs (yes, they’re called ‘programs’) that make it easier to spend and / or reward and incentivise spending, and harder to make good financial decisions. When you get tricked into spending, or spending more than you otherwise would, you transfer your wealth to someone else. The more wealth you consume, the less you have for later on. Let’s consider two marketing malware culprits to avoid wherever possible. Rewards Programs Beware programs that trick you into thinking that spending is good. Consider Flybuys for example. It is a rewards program where you generally receive one Flybuys point for every dollar spend. Therefore, to earn 1 000 000 Flybuys points, you need to spend $1 000 000. What if I told you that the cash value of one Flybuys point is 0.5 cents? That would mean to earn 1 000 000 Flybuys points you’d have to spend $1 000 000, yet that $1 000 000 is really only ‘worth’ $5000. They’ve actually created a system where you think you’re being rewarded on a one-for-one basis (i.e. one dollar spent equals one point) when really you’re being rewarded at the rate of half of one cent for every dollar spent. Additionally, when it comes time to redeem your points, the products you can ‘purchase’ are valued at top dollar, rather than at any discounted price you might be able to find if you shopped around. Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) Back in the day, department stores offered something called lay-by. This was where you could grab a product off the shelf, take it to the store’s lay-by counter and enter an arrangement with them to pay it off over two or three instalments. Once you’d made the final payment, the product was yours to own and take home. Lay-by was a great option for people who couldn’t access or didn’t want to use credit cards. There were no upfront fees associated with lay-by, and there was certainly no interest charged. Lay-by has been reborn and rebadged as BNPL; you pay by instalments, and you can take the product with you immediately. You won’t pay any fees provided you make the required instalments in full and on time. If you don’t, then you’ll be slugged with establishment fees, late fees, account-keeping fees and payment processing fees. The danger is that BNPL is easier to access than traditional debt options such as credit cards because BNPL is not technically credit since providers don’t charge interest. But BNPL is consumer debt with instant gratification, and that makes it credit in my book. Afterpay is one of the biggest BNPL providers on the planet. It advertises that it is a ‘free service’, provided you pay on time. If you don’t, their late fee is $10 per missed payment, plus an additional $7 if the payment is still outstanding after a week. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but if you had bought something that only cost $20 and forgot to make a $5 instalment, then the $10 fee is 200 per cent of the missed payment. Ouch! Don’t forget that the fee is per missed payment. If there were other purchases made, then the fee would compound. Late fees, however small, can quickly cascade into a significant sum of money, potentially many times more than the instalment due or even the price of the item purchased. Plus, there are other consequences of missed payments—black marks on credit records, difficulties borrowing for other debt such as a home loan, and the possibility of additional fees as debts are passed over to debt collectors. BNPL organisations profit from users who fail to meet their repayment obligations, and so part and parcel of running a successful business and growing profits would involve them doing well when their customers do poorly. You can’t expect corporate behemoths to do the right thing by you if it’s the wrong thing by them. The best you can do is gain the skills and awareness you need to know when you’re being played. Marketing malware disrupts your ability to accumulate wealth by tricking you into believing you are getting a better deal than is the case. Ideally, you’d avoid using it at all, but if it’s too late for that, then you need to clean up your code as soon as you can. Being rewarded for spending money you haven’t yet earned is a toxic combination that will poison your efforts to attract and keep a fortune that counts. Make sure you are a good shepherd of your financial flock by being vigilant in keeping an eye out for marketing malware wolves, and not falling for their enticing yet financially disempowering charms. Edited extract from Steve McKnight’s Money Magnet: How to Attract and Keep a Fortune that Counts (Wiley $32.95), now available at all leading retailers. Visit www.moneymagnet.au Image: Getty Images

Money & Banking

Beware the difference between ‘clean’ and ‘green’ hydrogen

<div> <div class="copy"> <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/cosmos-briefing-hydrogen-fuel/" target="_blank">Hydrogen</a> is set to be a crucial part of the energy sector by 2030. It combusts and releases energy without making carbon dioxide, meaning it can be used as an emissions-free source of energy – but research from the Australian National University reminds us that it could have an emissions-intensive future as well. The federal government has listed clean hydrogen as a priority in its <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/climate/australian-government-sets-a-net-zero-by-2050-emissions-target/" target="_blank">net-zero emissions plan</a>, and various <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/energy/the-incoming-hydrogen-boom/" target="_blank">state governments</a> and <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/energy/electrolysers-hydrogen-fuel-manufacture-australia/" target="_blank">private entities</a> have invested in clean hydrogen fuel and infrastructure. ‘Clean’ hydrogen does not necessarily mean it’s emissions-free: while ‘green’ hydrogen, made from water with renewable energy, involves no carbon at all, other types of hydrogen can still emit greenhouse gases. “The Australian Government, and quite a few other governments around the world, have used a definition of ‘clean’ hydrogen that includes ‘blue’ and ‘green’ in their hydrogen strategies. And they’ve not really differentiated at all between these two ways of making hydrogen,” explains Dr Fiona Beck, a senior lecturer at ANU. Currently, most industrial hydrogen is made from methane (natural gas) – releasing CO2 in the process. ‘Blue’ hydrogen is hydrogen made from methane, with carbon capture and storage preventing most of the CO2 from getting into the atmosphere. “The true emissions intensity of blue hydrogen has not been very well reported so far,” says Beck. “For example, international hydrogen strategies assume that you can capture up to 90% of emissions from blue hydrogen, but they’re missing out some really critical parts.” Beck is co-author on a recent <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.118145" target="_blank">paper</a> in Applied Energy, examining the relative costs and emissions of blue and green hydrogen. The researchers point out that the CO2 produced while making hydrogen from methane is not the only greenhouse gas involved. It also takes energy to capture and store the CO2, for instance – and excess methane is released as well. “Whenever you extract natural gas, you end up with what we call ‘fugitive emissions’. These are methane leaks that happen during the process of extracting the gas, processing the gas, transporting the gas,” says Beck. “It’s really critical that these are accounted for because methane is a really bad greenhouse gas. It’s worse than carbon dioxide.” While blue hydrogen is currently cheaper to make than green hydrogen, the researchers found that this could change as electrolysers – which are used to make green hydrogen – become more mass-produced. “Electrolysis with renewable energy could become cheaper than fossil fuels with CCS,” says co-author Dr Thomas Longden, also at ANU. “CCS is an expensive option for emissions reduction with most estimates for the cost of carbon capture being above $82 per tonne of carbon dioxide. These estimates increase to about $109 per tonne of CO2 for high capture rates,” he adds. “Blue hydrogen is sometimes discussed as a transition between just using natural gas and going fully green. But one of the things that we discuss in the paper is it’s really unclear how long blue hydrogen would be cheaper than green hydrogen,” says Beck. Both the blue and green hydrogen industries are in their nascency. The researchers believe an exclusive focus on green hydrogen will be both more economically sensible, and better for the environment. “It’s just the wrong trajectory,” says Beck. “If you’re going to put a whole lot of money into a new industry, it should be an industry that’s at least compatible with this energy transition. And we don’t believe that blue hydrogen is really compatible with reducing methane and carbon dioxide.” Image credits: Shutterstock</div> <div id="contributors"> This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/energy/beware-difference-between-clean-and-green-hydrogen/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Ellen Phiddian. </div> </div>

Technology

Beware the lure of unethical solar power

<div> <div class="copy"> Solar energy may be the future. But only if it lets go of the past. International NGO the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/09/to-lead-the-green-energy-future-solar-must-clean-up-its-supply-chains/" target="_blank">World Economic Forum</a> has issued a damning report card on the state of the world’s solar panel manufacturing. It may be experiencing rapid growth. It may be one of the cheapest sources of power. But its climate credentials face intense scrutiny. Forced labour, coal-fuelled production processes and a lack of transparency around the source of crucial components combine, the WEF says, into a cause for concern. “The solar industry is currently grappling with supply chain issues that could significantly impact its future,” the authors, professors Morgan Bazilian and Dustin Mulvaney, write. Much of their concern is concentrated on the production of polysilicon and the drive to make it cheap. Some 45% of global production of this component is sourced from Xinjiang province in China. And much of the labour force used to produce it is supplied by “re-education camps” detaining ethnic Kazakhs and Kyrgyz. On top of that, the remote desert region relies heavily on locally sourced coal for its power supply. “This attracted polysilicon manufacturers to this region of China in the first place because electricity is a major cost in the production process,” the report reads. Read more: <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/solar-and-wind-cheapest-energy-source-in-australia/" target="_blank">Solar and wind cheapest energy source in Australia</a> This, they say, undermines any climate and environmental benefits offered by solar panels further down the supply chain. “Solar panels are cheaper to build and install today in many places than alternative sources of electricity like coal and natural gas, translating to lower levels of greenhouse gases and air pollution,” they write. But Professor Alistair Sproul of the ANU’s School of Photovoltaic & Renewable Energy Engineering says photovoltaic power has more than enough wiggle room in its pricing to clean up its act. Much of the price drop in photovoltaic (PV) production in recent years has been driven by advances in technology, particularly crystalline silicon, he says. “Even if the price stayed where it is now or went up a little – PV is very cost-competitive.” Under current life-cycle <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nrel.gov/analysis/life-cycle-assessment.html" target="_blank">calculations</a>, crystalline silicon PV cells produce about 50g of CO2 for every kilowatt-hour of electricity. Black coal, in comparison, comes in at 1000g of CO2 per kWh. “The PV industry is growing each decade or so by a factor of 10 – this next decade is crucial – but as scale increases, costs will come down anyway – and the industry is not reliant on forced labour,” says Sproul. “Low-cost energy is really key here – so that there is a virtuous cycle – that as PV itself becomes cheaper it should be possible to lower the cost of producing PV further by utilising increasing amounts of PV electricity in manufacturing.” Sproul says materials that need coal for processing – especially steel – are all seeking alternatives. “Hydrogen is definitely an avenue worth exploring as an alternative to coal to reduce iron oxide (for steel) and silicon dioxide ( for silicon). [And] all supply chains need to be clear, transparent and free from forced labour.” Image credit: Shutterstock  <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=167605&title=Beware+the+lure+of+unethical+solar+power" alt="" width="1" height="1" />  </div> <div id="contributors"> This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/energy/beware-the-lure-of-unethical-solar-power/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Jamie Seidel. </div> </div>

Technology

Beware the robot bearing gifts

<div> <div class="copy"> In a future filled with robots, those that pretend to be your friend could be more manipulative than those that exert authority, suggests a new study published in Science Robotics. As robots become more common in the likes of education, healthcare and security, it is essential to predict what the relationship between humans and robots will be. <div style="position: relative; display: block; max-width: 100%;"> <div style="padding-top: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://players.brightcove.net/5483960636001/HJH3i8Guf_default/index.html?videoId=6273649735001" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; right: 0px; bottom: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%;"></iframe></div> </div> Overview of authority HRI study conditions, setup, and robot behaviors. Credit: Autonomous Systems and Biomechatronics Lab, University of Toronto. In the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.abd5186?_ga=2.192393706.1796540797.1632092915-1153018146.1604894082" target="_blank">study</a>, led by Shane Saunderson and Goldie Nejat of the University of Toronto, Canada, researchers programmed a robot called Pepper to influence humans completing attention and memory tasks, by acting either as a friend or an authority figure. They found that people were more comfortable with, and more persuaded by, friendly Pepper. Authoritative Pepper was described by participants as “inhuman,” “creepy,” and giving off an “uncanny valley vibe”. “As it stands, the public has little available education or general awareness of the persuasive potential of social robots, and yet institutions such as banks or restaurants can use them in financially charged situations, without any oversight and only minimal direction from the field,” writes James Young, a computer scientist from the University of Manitoba, Canada, in a related <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://10.1126/scirobotics.abk3479" target="_blank">Focus</a>. “Although the clumsy and error-prone social robots of today seem a far cry from this dystopian portrayal, Saunderson and Nejat demonstrate how easily a social robot can leverage rudimentary knowledge of human psychology to shape their persuasiveness.” Read more: <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/robotics/meet-the-robots-representing-australia-at-the-robot-olympics/" target="_blank">Meet the robots representing Australia at the ‘robot Olympics’</a> To test a robot’s powers of persuasion, Pepper assumed two personas: one was as a friend who gave rewards, and the other was as an authoritative figure who dealt out punishment. A group of participants were each given $10 and told that the amount of money could increase or decrease, depending on their performance in set memory tasks. Friendly Pepper gave money for correct responses, and authoritative Pepper docked $10 for incorrect responses. The participants then completed tasks in the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.pearsonclinical.co.uk/Psychology/AdultCognitionNeuropsychologyandLanguage/AdultAttentionExecutiveFunction/TestofEverydayAttention(TEA)/TestofEverydayAttention(TEA).aspx" target="_blank">Test of Everyday Attention</a> toolkit, a cognition test based on real-life scenarios. After the participant made an initial guess, Pepper offered them an alternative suggestion – this was always the right answer. The participant could then choose to listen to Pepper or go with his or her original answer. The results showed that people were more willing to switch to friendly Pepper’s suggestions than those of authoritative Pepper. Image credit: Shutterstock This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/robotics/beware-the-robot-bearing-gifts/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Deborah Devis. </div> </div>

Technology

"Always beware of the live mic": Poulter unleashes on first tee

There seemed to be a slight wind blowing in on the first hole. Unfortunately for golfer Ian Poulter, the PGA Tour has mics covering the entire premises and in a hilarious moment, he was caught letting out a fart on live TV during the final round of the Travellers Championship. As Greg Chalmers teed off on the first hole Sunday morning, Poulter very audibly let one rip just as he had finished his swing. The broadcast captured the fart in vivid detail, and the golfers were heard laughing immediately after. “Did you get that?” Poulter asked. “Stay over there,” Chalmers joked in response. “Is that supposed to be more silent than that?” Poulter admitted his actions on Twitter, tweeting: “3 club wind this morning on the first tee. Always beware of the live mic.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> 3 club wind this morning on the first tee. Always beware of the live 🎙 <a href="https://t.co/tzFGtf2mSS">https://t.co/tzFGtf2mSS</a> — Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) <a href="https://twitter.com/IanJamesPoulter/status/1277325666942357508?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2020</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> The best bit everyone thinks it was you 🤣 — Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) <a href="https://twitter.com/IanJamesPoulter/status/1277330881590460416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2020</a></blockquote> The PGA Tour had placed mics on players since they resumed play this month, a new wrinkle added to broadcasts since there are no fans in attendance at events due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Travel Trouble

Stalk snappers beware: You could be charged double

For vegetable growers, greengrocers and supermarkets alike, it’s one of the most frustrating habits of shoppers. They say that by doing it, it not only deprives them of income but also takes away the delicious flavour of the produce. Once store is so tired of it that its owners have gone beyond simply shaking their heads when customers are out of view they’ll now charge customers double if they do this dastardly deed. So what is this habit that has caused so much frustration? Snapping off the stalks of broccoli and dumping them before they head to the cash register. Some shoppers believe that by taking off the stalks, they save a few cents but grocers are tired of it. A greengrocer in Sydney’s inner west took the liberty of posting a blunt message for those who thought it was an appropriate practice. “Do not remove broccoli stalks,” it read. “Otherwise be charged double”. The sneaky habit is so common, that grocers are finding an abundance of stalks at the bottom of broccoli crates. “I always break it off and leave it,” one stalk snapper told news.com.au said, despite acknowledging the amount saved was not huge. “It’s not about the cost, it’s the principle of being forced to pay for a stalk that won’t be used. Similarly, at the butcher I always ask that any excess fat is trimmed off.” Another was equally unrepentant: “You get charged by weight so everyone breaks off the bits they don’t eat to get more bang for their buck.” But a Sydneysider on team stalk said the practice “did her head in”. “Almost all fresh produce has a certain amount of waste – peel, core, seeds – that isn’t used but you still have to pay for it,” she said. “You don’t go around leaving banana peels behind or the seed of an avocado. It’s just life.” One shopper pointed out that supermarkets used to have bins in the fresh produce section where you could dump cauliflower leaves and other unnecessary veg accessories before paying for them. And pineapples have long been sold shorn of their spiky leaves – so why not sell broccoli with its stem detached?

Food & Wine

Beware: Your private data could be shared with strangers

Just to remind us that even the world’s biggest and wealthiest tech companies are not immune to privacy breaches, Google made worldwide headlines recently after a glitch that sent thousands of users’ private videos backed up on Google Photos to complete strangers. Google Takeout is a service that allows Google Photo users to backup their personal data or use it with other apps. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/google-photos-accidentally-sent-users-private-videos-to-strangers-report-2020-2?r=US&IR=T">Google mixed up user-data</a> and sent many Take-out users’ personal videos to random people. While the issue lasted several days, Google says it only affected 0.01% of users – but with the number of users in excess of 1 billion, the number is believed to run into the thousands. The way big tech companies like Google and Facebook collect, store and share user-data has <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/facebook-defiant-in-the-face-of-data-scandal/">come under scrutiny in recent years.</a> The ACCC has taken legal action against Google Last year, the Australian consumer watchdog, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) filed legal proceedings against Google, accusing it of misleading smartphone users about how it collects and uses personal location data. It’s the ACCC’s first lawsuit against a global tech giant, but one which the Commission hopes will send a clear message that tech companies are legally required to inform users of how their data is collected, and how users can stop it from being collected. Other countries are said to be watching the proceedings closely, as they too consider how to keep tech companies accountable. In a nutshell, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-google-regulator/australian-regulator-files-privacy-suit-against-google-alleging-location-data-misuse-idUSKBN1X804X">the ACCC alleges that Google breached the Australian Consumer Law (ACL)</a> by misleading its users during the years 2017 and 2018 by: <ul> <li>not properly disclosing that two different settings need to be switched off if consumers do not want Google to collect, keep and use their location data, and</li> <li>not disclosing to consumers on which pages personal location data can be used for a purposes unrelated to the consumer’s use of Google services.</li> </ul> Some of the alleged breaches carry penalties of up to A$10 million or 10% of annual turnover. According to the ACCC, Google’s account settings on Android phones and tablets have led consumers to believe that changing a setting on the “Location History” page stops the company from collecting, storing and using their location data. It alleges that Google failed to make clear to consumers that they would actually need to change their choices on a separate setting titled “Web & App Activity” to prevent this from occurring. It is well known that Google collects and uses consumers’ personal location data for purposes other than providing Google services to consumers, although users are often surprised to realise just how much information these tech giants have and profit from. For example, Google uses location data for its navigation platforms, using the data to work out demographic information for the sole purposes of selling targeted advertising. And, as it has become increasingly clear, digital platforms have the ability to track consumers when they are <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/smile-facebook-may-soon-be-filming-you/">both online and offline</a> to create highly detailed personal profiles. These profiles are then used to sell products and services, but companies like the ACCC believe the way the information is gathered is misleading or deceptive, and could also breach <a href="http://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/police-hacking-in-australia-a-case-of-breach-of-privacy/">privacy laws</a>. No ‘blanket’ protection for users globally The closest thing to a cross-jurisdiction set of rules regarding privacy rights is the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), which were introduced in 2018 and govern data protection and privacy in the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA). The regulation also addresses the transfer of personal data outside the EU and EEA areas. The instrument aims to give individuals control over their personal data and to simplify the regulatory environment for international business by unifying the rules within the EU. Not all companies and organisations have adopted the GDPR. Rather, only those with offices in an EU country or that collect, process or store the personal data of anyone located within an EU country are required to comply with the rules. But because many businesses have an international focus and reach, <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/guidance-and-advice/australian-entities-and-the-eu-general-data-protection-regulation/">many Australian businesses have adopted the regulations</a> and given consumers some assurances regarding privacy. And the GDPR laws do have teeth. In January, a French regulator fined Google 50 million euros (about AUD$82 million) for breaches of privacy laws. And Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner is currently investigating Google over contravening the privacy rules. Facebook is also under fire for privacy breaches as well as for misuse of data. Last year, it was fined a record-breaking $5 billion in the United States over the misuse of data and inadequate vetting of misinformation campaigns, which were used together to help sway the 2016 presidential election in favour of Donald Trump. Beware of posting or uploading information In the meantime, the ACCC has not yet specified the nature and scope of the corrective notices and other orders it is seeking against Google. However, the regulator has sent warnings to <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/thinking-of-getting-a-digital-assistant-device-think-again/">all technology users to be vigilant</a> in updating their privacy settings and being aware the information they provide when setting up devices and apps can be used and, indeed, profited from by tech companies. Written by Sonia hickey and Ugur Nedim. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/beware-your-private-data-could-be-shared-with-strangers/">Sydney Criminal Lawyers.</a>

Art

Beware: Woolworths issues urgent alert for coupon scam

Woolworths has issued an urgent warning over a sophisticated Facebook scam. The scam post – which is designed to look like an official Woolworths post with a barcode and the supermarket’s logo and branding – claims to offer users $100 off their next purchase when they use the coupon. “Woolworths has announced that every customer that shares this link will be sent a $100 coupon for its anniversary. TODAY ONLY,” the post reads. Users are asked to activate the coupon by clicking on the link and sharing the coupon with family and friends on Facebook. On the provided link, users are asked to enter personal information to receive the coupon. Woolworths said it has reported the scam to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and Scamwatch. “Scams are often specially designed to look genuine, and often copy features from legitimate communications such as our logo and branding,” the supermarket giant said in a statement. “Woolworths will never email, message, or call you to ask for your personal or financial information including your password, credit card details or account information.” Woolworths advised customers to be vigilant and check the sites for authenticity. “For example, the link might take you to the website www.woolwoorths.com.au instead of www.woolworths.com.au,” the statement read. A Woolworths spokesperson told <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/woolworths-scam--shoppers-warned-over-fake-coupon-facebook-post/321b117e-7287-4a49-a4d9-d2314016abaa">9news.com.au</a>, “We encourage our customers to be vigilant of online and mobile phishing scams, which seek to imitate well-known brands to collect personal information. We will never ask our customers for their personal or banking details in unsolicited communications.”

News

Did you get this text? Beware the fake ATO message scamming Aussies out of thousands

A warning has been issued over a text message that appears to be from the Australian Tax Office, but is really a fraudulent scam aiming to take money out of the pockets of hardworking Aussies. “You are due to receive an ATO direct refund of $2675.61,” the text reads. <img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7829691/new-project.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/d69d06c2a25046eeb70206b6d99db5f3" /> “Visit <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.ato.direct/" target="_blank">www.ato.direct</a> and logon with your phone number **** and ATO PIN: **** to claim.” The seedy link tells the receiver of the text message it is a “new system” used by the ATO to hand out tax refunds, and is “very straightforward.” “It has been designed and personalised to prevent third parties from claiming your refunds,” the scam reads. NSW Police are urging anyone who has received the SMS text to delete it immediately and to not click on any links in the message. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7829690/new-project-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/616578330cd64d85881ad11cad350708" /> Anyone who has clicked on any of the links given are advised to file a report with <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.cyber.gov.au/report" target="_blank">Australian Cyber Security Centre </a>or call the police assistance line on 131 444. Read more: <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/how-to-outsmart-the-scammers" target="_blank">How to outsmart the scammers</a>

Money & Banking

5 hidden things in your home that may be a fire hazard

Keep your family and property safe by being mindful of these hidden fire dangers in your home. 1. Beware these hidden fire traps Keep your family and property safe by being mindful of these hidden fire dangers in your home. 2. Smoke detector Every year people die because their smoke detectors didn’t go off during a fire. That’s usually because the batteries were dead (or had been removed to stop false alarms) or the detector was past its useful life or was located where occupants couldn’t hear the alarm. 3. Cooking fires A towel or curtains hanging too close to an unattended stove can ignite. The statistics: Cooking fires cause 23 per cent of home fires and 9 per cent of deaths. The grease in an unattended frying pan catches on fire and ignites nearby combustibles, which in turn ignite curtains, cabinets or anything else in the vicinity. 4. Extension cords Overloaded extension cords, bad connections and other careless use of electrical devices can melt wire insulation and cause a fire. The statistics: Electrical equipment causes nine percent of home fires and 10 percent of deaths. Overloaded extension cords, hidden electrical shorts, bad connections and oversized bulbs and fixtures can ignite nearby combustibles and burn down your house. 5. Gas water heaters Clothes piled too close to a gas water heater can ignite when the water heater comes on, especially if the protective doors for the gas burners are missing. Appliances (clothes dryers and gas water heaters) cause 7 percent of home fires and 4 percent of deaths. After problems with stoves and heaters, the biggest culprits in appliance fires are lint in dryers and combustibles near gas water heaters. Written by Nick Gerhardt. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/home-tips/20-hidden-things-in-your-home-that-may-be-a-fire-hazard?slide=all">Reader’s Digest.</a> For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRA87V">here’s our best subscription offer.</a> <img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" />

Legal

Shoppers beware: The cost of a lamb roast has just skyrocketed

Lamb and beef prices have soared up across Australia as cattle production continues to take hammering from the droughts and increasing export demand. Coles, Woolworths and ALDI confirmed that the wholesale cost of beef and lamb had increased, with the typical 2.5kg lamb roast being priced at nearly $34. Meanwhile, prices of beef scotch fillet rose up to $35 per kilogram at major supermarkets. “The drought has increased the price of beef and lamb on livestock markets and we’ve been working to absorb as much of these cost pressures as we can over the past year,” said Woolworths head of meat Chris Croese. “We understand the cost-of-living pressures facing Australian families and continue to focus on delivering competitive meat prices for our customers.” An ALDI spokeswoman also said the retailer had to change the prices accordingly. “All of our fresh meat products are 100 per cent Australian sourced, however weather conditions including the drought do impact our supply chain. We adjust the price of our fresh meat according to market conditions.” Prices at independent butchers have also climbed, with businesses in Sydney telling the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/lamb-prices-rise-a-shock-117-per-cent-with-beef-increasing-by-22-per-cent/news-story/3370d9d03df25dfc2ead1fbf0d0c8bf9?login=1" target="_blank">Daily Telegraph</a> that they had to raise the prices of red meat by as much as 15 per cent in the past 18 months. “There has been a 25 per cent increase on red meat prices from suppliers in the past 18 months,” said Todd McFarland of McFarland’s Quality Meats. The cost of red meat has surged following the pressures from the Eastern States drought and growing international demand. Apart from red meat, the drought has also driven up prices of <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/why-your-grocery-bill-is-getting-more-expensive" target="_blank">fruits and vegetables</a>. The growing demand for meat from China, Japan and Korea also played a part in the price hike. Over the past year, export of red meat to China has increased 48 per cent to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.queenslandcountrylife.com.au/story/5949918/who-is-driving-the-global-beef-bus/" target="_blank">162,682 tonnes</a> while the volumes sent to Korea and Japan have increased by 15 per cent and 8 per cent respectively. “Drought is impacting on supply to our international markets, so they are likely to try and maintain their supply, which will push prices up and impact on prices in our domestic markets,” Robert Herrman, managing director of agricultural forecaster Mecardo told the Daily Telegraph. What do you think about the rising cost of red meat? Let us know in the comments below.

Money & Banking

New scam warning for ANZ bank customers – beware of this email

ANZ are warning customers of a new email scam that’s targeting their internet banking login details. This is a sophisticated email scam, as the email address that’s being used looks similar to ANZ’s support email. The scam email address is: @anzsupport.cf. The body of the ANZ-branded email goes into detail, explaining that the bank will be introducing “challenge questions” to protect customers and add an extra layer of security. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> Warning: Be wary of this <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/phishing?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#phishing</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/email?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#email</a> scam mimicking <a href="https://twitter.com/ANZ_AU?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ANZ_AU</a> . Directing users to confirm their ‘challenge questions’, the emails look legitimate, complete with the bank’s branding & logos. Don’t click on any <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/links?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#links</a>. More details in our blog soon <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/fastbreak?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#fastbreak</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/zeroday?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#zeroday</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/hacked?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#hacked</a> <a href="https://t.co/TOLJvzVUr9">pic.twitter.com/TOLJvzVUr9</a> — MailGuard (@MailGuard) <a href="https://twitter.com/MailGuard/status/1103064693629845505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2019</a></blockquote> Once you click on the link to confirm your challenge questions, customers are taken to an authentic ANZ login page, which asks for your customer registration number and password. Naturally, once you enter these details in, the hackers have your internet banking login details and the sensitive information is handed over. Once the details are entered, customers are then taken to a page where you can choose your three challenge questions and provide answers. Once you’re finished with the questions, you’re taken back to the official ANZ AU page, which makes the scam even more convincing to customers due to the consistent ANZ branding all the way through. Email security firm <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.mailguard.com.au/blog/warning-anz-bank-impersonated-in-phishing-email-that-asks-users-to-confirm-challenge-questions" target="_blank">MailGuard</a> explains why the criminals have gone into such great detail. “Cybercriminals have taken great pains to replicate official landing pages from ANZ – including incorporating the bank’s branding and logo using high-quality graphical elements. “If you tell the scammers your security question, it allows them to attempt other fraudulent actions, such as calling them back and trying to access your accounts.” ANZ have advised their customers to be on the lookout, as they do not send emails asking for personal information or security credentials. If you’ve received an ANZ scam email, here’s some steps you can take <ul> <li>Do not open any attachments or enter in any personal information.</li> <li>Forward the suspicious email to <a rel="noopener" href="mailto:hoax@cybersecurity.anz.com" target="_blank">hoax@cybersecurity.anz.com</a>.</li> <li>Delete the message from your inbox. </li> </ul> Have you received this scam ANZ email? Let us know in the comments.

Legal

The new Aussie Netflix scam you need to be aware of

Aussie Netflix users are being warned to take extreme caution after it was found a sophisticated email scam has been sent across Australia. The high-quality email is being sent to unsuspecting Australians, one that tricks users into believing the scam emails come from the legitimate streaming platform. The scam looks to steal information from Netflix users by telling them their beloved online watching has been “temporarily suspeneded (sic),” only to be returned to them after their personal information is given to “verify” their details. The phishing email claims the user’s account has been “suspeneded (sic)” due to “issues in the automatic verification process”. “For this reason we suspended your account, until you verify all required informations (sic) and update your payment method,” the email explains. Despite the spelling errors and high intelligence of technology users, experts are warning people to be aware. MailGuard, an email security company, claims the email scam was alerted first on Monday evening. “Sent via a malicious sender, the emails use a display name of “NETFLlX” with a lower case ‘L’ character to replace the ‘i’,” the statement said. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> Marie Kondo your inbox by tidying up your emails and discarding anything like this, because this scam will not spark joy. ✨🙅🏻‍♀️ Beware of a fake Netflix email scam that’s going around. If you get this email do not click on links or enter personal data. Image courtesy of 9 News. <a href="https://t.co/YyBA0Liq9c">pic.twitter.com/YyBA0Liq9c</a> — NSW Police Force (@nswpolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/nswpolice/status/1090103603165970432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2019</a></blockquote> Clicking the “UPDATE YOUR DETAILS” link takes users to a fake Netflix login page that is incredibly similar to the official login by the streaming service. If an unlucky user is to put their details into the page, cyber criminals are then given access to information by victims. The information can be used for identity theft and fraud. MailGuard warns there are several indications that the email they might receive from ‘Netflix’ could be fake. “There are several grammatical and spelling errors within the body, such as the bolded ‘suspended’. “Spacing errors are also present throughout the email.” A Netflix spokesperson said the security regarding member accounts are taken under extreme safety measures, ensuring the company “employs numerous proactive measures to detect fraudulent activity.” If you receive an email like the one above, users are encouraged to delete it immediately. SEE MORE: <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/technology/are-you-too-smart-to-fall-for-an-online-scam-take-this-quiz">Are you too smart to fall for an online scam? Take this quiz</a>

Technology

Beware: Social media scammers using golfer Jarrod Lyle’s death to make money

Jarrod Lyle’s widow has been forced to interrupt her mourning, so she can warn fans to beware of fake fundraising pages that have been set up by scammers. The 36-year-old golfer made the heartbreaking decision to move into palliative care earlier this month, after battling myeloid leukaemia since last year. Lyle passed away 10 days later in Torquay, Victoria, surrounded by friends and family. Instead of being able to grieve during this devastating time, Lyle’s wife Briony has been forced to deal with scammers taking advantage of well-meaning fans and supporters. “Yet another Insta account has appeared to take advantage of Jarrod’s death,” Briony said. “I apologise for the nuisance.” The con-artists have set up various fake Instagram accounts, where they have been encouraging unsuspecting people to donate to the grieving family. “It’s absolutely disgusting what they’re doing to take advantage of a family who are grieving and innocent people who think they’re supporting them,” scam victim Meegan Malouf said. “I was pretty upset that someone would use the name of a charity, especially [so] soon after the passing of Jarrod Lyle,” Australian Charities and Not for Profits Commissioner Dr Gary Johns said. Dr Johns urged anyone who has been targeted by this scam to keep a record of all conversations and to report the accounts to Instagram, so they can be shut down. “The message is, if you’re unsure, come onto <a href="https://www.acnc.gov.au/">our website</a> and check if it’s a registered charity,” Dr Johns said. “If you want to donate, go to the charity’s website, it’s much safer.”

Legal

Selling on Gumtree? Just be aware of these scams

Lisa Du is director of <a href="https://readytechgo.com.au/" target="_blank">ReadyTechGo</a>, a service that helps people gain the confidence and skills to embrace modern technology. Have you got unwanted goods lying around the house? I sure do! I sell many unwanted goods online, as it's a great way to convert unwanted items into cash. I have a brand-new iPhone 8 to sell, and was going to list it on eBay. After working out that it would cost me over $100 in fees, I decided to give Gumtree a go, as it is free to list and there are no fees involved. I was pleasantly surprised to receive an enquiry within an hour of listing the iPhone 8. The message from "Sue" read: "Hi my partner will like to know if your listed Phone on gumtree is still on for sale? sallyjenese@gmail.com Email her directly Thx" Excited, I emailed sallyjenese@gmail.com right away, to let her know that the phone was still available. Here is the response from Sue's partner Sally: <img width="564" height="" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/e785dd9ba906ed79fad48bd7e/images/d15e174e-e6e4-46fa-b30a-b2f212e9c5d4.png" class="mcnImage" style="max-width: 1538px; padding-bottom: 0px; vertical-align: bottom; line-height: 100%; outline: none; display: inline !important; height: auto !important;" align="center"/> I was a little confused when I read Sally's email and decided not to reply just yet. I mulled over it, and re-read her email. It sounded suspicious... <ol start="1"> <li>It doesn't cost $100 to send a phone from Melbourne with Australia Post</li> <li>Paying me via PayPal?</li> </ol> I wasn't entirely comfortable with someone paying me online, outside of an online marketplace like eBay. Marketplaces such as eBay protects the buyer and the seller, if the transaction takes place within the eBay website or app. I decided to do a Google Search of "Gumtree scams" and found that many people had fallen victim to scams just like the message I received from Sue! The scammer sends a message to the Seller, asking the seller to email them. The transaction occurs via email, where the scammer says they will pay via PayPal. They make "payment", sending the seller a fake PayPal transaction summary. In the news article from ABC News, scammers were contacting people who were trying to sell their cars. Then according to ABC News, one of three events will occur: 1. A courier comes and picks up the car and it is effectively stolen 2. The buyer suddenly demands a refund on the fake transaction 3. They "accidentally" pay extra on the fake transaction and demand to be reimbursed Also, I didn't realise at the time, but when I re-read the original Text Message, the sender says "sue" (instead of a mobile phone number). I don't have a "sue" in my contact list, and when I tapped on the contact details, there was no phone number! (Scammers use online websites to send anonymous text messages, or messages with fake names). Another scam to be wary of I had a client this week who listed their Caravan on Gumtree, and straight away, received a text message asking them if the caravan was available, the condition of the caravan and to email them the details with the best price (sound familiar?). The client sent an email advising that the caravan was available, and received this email response: To: [CLIENT NAME OMITTED] Subject: Re: Liberty van response Thanks for getting back, I'm fine with the price likewise the condition as described on the advert, exactly what am looking for, I work with Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. Beetaloo Basin, Northern Territory, Australia and the reception is terrible. We do not have access to phone at the moment, which is why I contacted you with internet messaging facility. I am already in talks with the courier that will handle the pick-up and delivery. As regards the payment, I can pay you through direct bank deposit (EFT), using paypal instant bank wire transfer service, linked up with my ANZ bank account, I will need your bank details and I will make the payment through paypal facility to your bank account, all I will need is your acct number, BSB number and acct name. With the issue of my details, transferring the name of ownership and signing of all paperwork will be done by the freight agent so you don't have to worry about that. Thanks.... Await your reply Zanco The client contacted ReadyTechGo for our thoughts, and we played along with "Zanco", asking Zanco to send us his ID so that we can get things rolling. Zanco sent through an image of a Female US Passport, in which my client replied stating "perhaps an incorrect ID was attached?" Zanco replied a second time with a Queensland Driver’s License of a young man named Zanco. It can appear quite legitimate! Beware Sites like Gumtree are a great place to sell your items (my client successfully sold a Trailer and Tyres) but do keep in mind that there are many scams circulating! If the potential buyer suggests paying you via PayPal or online banking, be mindful. If you are using websites like Gumtree, cash is best. A Gumtree spokesperson said, "The safety of our community is our number one priority. While most community members have a positive experience, on occasion bad seeds do target Gumtree users. For any Gumtree transaction, we encourage our community to follow our safety guidelines. We are a community marketplace, so we always encourage members to buy and sell locally. A transaction should always be made face-to-face with the buyer and seller, with payment made once the goods have been inspected or the services completed. Our community should always avoid paying for an item before it has been viewed. We also suggest taking someone with you to meet your buyer/seller. Common sense is important too – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." "We also encourage anyone who thinks they have come across anything suspicious or concerning to report it to us using the ‘report ad’ function or 24/7 live chat. We also recommend everyone using Gumtree should visit our <a href="https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhelp.gumtree.com.au%2F&data=02%7C01%7Ckdunn%40gumtree.com%7C20820d62835440bfcf9b08d58d260e11%7C46326bff992841a0baca17c16c94ea99%7C0%7C0%7C636570116940740886&sdata=juXUHXHgJBSxNpWOnF%2B38G1cw3rLdVYlFq0M2CdIu2A%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank">Help section</a> for tips on how to have a safe and successful experience and to be vigilant when using any online marketplace.”

Technology

Beware of this outrageous restaurant scam in Venice

A tourist from England was left shocked after receiving a $795 (€526) bill in Venice after he and his parents shared a plate of oysters given to them by the restaurant, Trattoria Casanova. The tourist told The Independent that the family did not order the oysters and when they questioned the waiter their concerns were brushed off. He also claimed that they were given a platter of “pescato misto” which included lobster, scampi and sea bass. The tourist thought he had ordered a grilled fish platter and tried to explain to the waiter that it was the wrong dish. “I ordered it by pointing at a picture, which showed only one portion without any name or price on it. The picture was on the first page of the menu,” he said. “I have to admit it is my fault that I did not check the price, but I did not expect one and a half lobsters together with other fish that would cost us €300 ($453).” When he saw the total of the bill he was shocked and questioned it but was told that it was what his family had ordered. The tourist has since written a letter of complaint to Mayor of Venice Luigi Brugnaro explaining that the restaurant Trattoria Casanova took advantage of the fact they did not speak Italian. “I’m not expecting a refund,” reads his letter. “But I would like to draw your attention to a kind of behaviour that risks ruining Venice’s reputation. They took advantage of the fact that we didn’t speak Italian.” It appears that this family are not the only ones to suffer an ordeal like this at Trattoria Casanova. Reviews on TripAdvisor are overwhelmingly negative with 57 per cent of 547 reviewers rating it as “terrible”. Some dubbed the restaurant as a “tourist trap”. “The waiters barely spoke English yet understood us well enough to welcome us, offer seats, explain their favourite dishes. No-one explained the hidden charges on how the high cost of our bill was worked out. It was much, much higher than the menu indicated,” one review said. “I embarrassed my family and caused a fuss! So on top of the cost of fish, we were charged for extras such as bread sticks, a small plate of tiny snacks that we definitely did not order (we wrongly assumed these were complimentary, to nibble before our order arrived).” Another review warned that the restaurant will “try to exploit anyone who does not speak Italian, which is over 90 per cent of their customers”. Customers have also shared photos of their receipts from the restaurant, showing how the majority of visitors are left with a bill of over $300. Have you ever experienced treatment like this at a restaurant overseas? Let us know in the comments below.

Travel Insurance

Why you need to beware of fake online stores

Most of us think we're smart enough to avoid being fooled by illegitimate online retailers. We look for "https" (the s denoting secure) in URLs, and always check the security certificate before buying. I've been shopping online for more than 10 years, and I've never come across any fraud... until last month. I was fooled by a mirror website of a popular international brand - a site that looked identical to its authentic United States counterpart, had a Australian domain name, but unfortunately, I discovered, sold counterfeit goods shipped from Beijing. Truth be told, I was in a hurry to make a purchase and didn't take any precautions aside from checking the security certificate - the only thing on the site that was genuine. Before you pull your card from your wallet and click "purchase", there are several precautions you should take - even (and perhaps especially) if you're an experienced online shopper. Netsafe's advice in avoiding internet trickery is to buy online only from businesses in Australia. In an ideal world, we'd all do this. In my case, I thought I was buying from a Australianfranchise. But the reason many of us shop online is because we want products unavailable in our own country, so Netsafe's advice isn't going to deter many. If you are determined to buy online from an international website, take a few minutes to assess the validity of the site. First, check for adequate contact details, including a phone number and email address under the same domain as the website address. A red flag should immediately be raised when you can't find a phone number (and if it's present but contains a dubious country code, call it and see what happens). Physical address details must be available, too. Subsequently, go to whois.net and enter the URL. WhoisNet is a free service which provides domain identification details, including country of origin, full contact details, server details, and website creation dates. If you're about to buy from an American website that was registered three months ago in China, you've definitely found a fraudulent mirror site. According to Netsafe: "Scammers often pay to register a new website name for only one year in the knowledge they will be shut down or bad reviews by customers flag the problem to other shoppers. Private registrations [which omit public details from WhoisNet] can also be a cause for concern." If WhoisNet checks out (and you've got adequate contact details) you're probably safe. However, do a quick Google search of the URL and see if there are any message boards that list that website as problematic. If the purchase was made via direct transfer, your bank may be able to cancel this before it is processed. Likewise, a Western Union transfer can be stopped on request, but this has to be done within hours of the purchase. Fraudulent Paypal purchases can be disputed after 20 days of no resolution between parties. If you paid by credit card, your bank is able to assist in a reversal of funds, called a "chargeback". This process is long and arduous, and will result in a cost to you if the dispute is not resolved in your favour. Your bank will require you to provide all correspondence with the merchant and proof that you have made attempts to resolve the issue directly. This includes proof of returning counterfeit goods to the sender, or, if no goods arrived, that you emailed several times to no avail to get tracking numbers. It will take about a month, but if your bank determines your case a genuine example of online fraud, they will pursue a funds reversal from the merchant's bank. More often than not, a funds chargeback will be possible, so do take the time to pursue it if you've been fooled. Have you ever fallen foul of an online scam? Written by Lee Suckling. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a>.

Money & Banking

Beware of phone scammers pretending to be from Telstra

Telco giant Telstra has had to set up a hotline for customers to report pest callers after an onslaught of scammers harassing Australians through their home telephones. It has also led to the development of a new telephone handset which stops the scammers being able to get through. From January to March this year over 4,000 scams were reported to Telstra from its customers. The types of scams typically reported included the caller pretending to be a Telstra worker and asking to connect remotely to a customer’s home computer to fix a bogus problem. Another scam tells the customer that their landline will be cut off unless they pay a fee. The scammers are trying to gain access to the customer’s identity in order to steal their banking details. Jennifer Douglas, Telstra’s director of fixed, voice and platinum services, says the telco had received complaints of over 100,000 nuisance calls over the past year. “The scammers are targeting the home phone because there are published numbers available for the home phone and people also have time at home when the call comes through,’’ she says. “The first thing you need to do is be on guard when you do take calls, always be alert to a caller who sounds suspicious. “Never share personal banking or credit card details over the phone or remote access to a computer.” The handset offered by Telstra is a service where the caller is asked to identify themselves before being connected to the person. This allows the customer to decide whether or not to accept the call. Another free option is to register your landline, mobile and even fax number with the <a href="https://www.donotcall.gov.au/">Do Not Call Register</a> which aims to reduce the number of telemarketing calls received. However the register offers exemption to some charities and government organisations, and it doesn’t stop callers from overseas, Douglas warns. How to protect yourself from scammers: <ul> <li>If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from a bank or government department, hang up and call them back on their published contact phone number.</li> <li>Never give out your personal details or credit card details over the phone for payments of fees you weren’t aware of already</li> <li>Don’t give remote access to your computer to anyone you don’t know</li> <li>Register your numbers with the Do Not Call Register</li> <li>Ensure your computer antivirus software is up to date</li> <li>Contact your bank if you are worried that you may have given your details to a scammer</li> </ul> Related links: <a href="/news/news/2015/07/worlds-tallest-cow/">Meet the world’s tallest cow</a> <a href="/news/news/2015/07/specialist-police-unit-to-combat-elder-abuse/">Specialist police unit introduced to combat elder abuse in NSW</a> <a href="/news/news/2015/07/71-year-old-woman-finishes-161km-race/">71-year-old woman completes 161 kilometre marathon with 6 seconds to spare</a>

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Beware of this outrageous restaurant scam in Venice

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