Scams and Fraud

Behind the slick websites and promises of a world-class education a shadow industry has thrived — one where colleges and migration and education agents have spent decades exploiting the system.

A Perth financial advisor pleads guilty to stealing more than $1 million from his clients' superannuation funds, with one couple losing $500,000 of their retirement nest egg.

A 33-year-old Mackay man will spend four months in jail after authorities uncovered his elaborate scheme to funnel fraudulent relief payment claims through his bank account.

Chinese authorities have reportedly rescued a Chinese model who was caught up in a human-trafficking ring in Myanmar's lawless borderlands. 

In a likely precedent-setting court case involving two companies, a business that received a fraudulent invoice email is ordered to pay costs to an electrical contractor who was hacked.

Since Myanmar's 2021 coup, criminal syndicate scam centres have thrived along the Thailand border, where hundreds of thousands of people have been forced into virtual slavery, with the latest among them appearing to be aspiring models and actors.

Three elderly victims were allegedly scammed out of more than $200,000 in Box Hill last year, after being told they were being followed by an evil spirit.

Sarah and Laine Robinson were one day away from moving into their forever home when it was taken from them. They're telling their story to warn others of sophisticated and difficult-to-spot scams on the rise in Australia.  

With millions of dollars lost in NSW alone, one investigator says it's often the family of romance fraud victims who reach out for support on their behalf. 

These websites might seem like victimless enterprises, but there are real-world consequences for people who get tangled up in the lies. 

Scam victims in Singapore could lose access to their own money as the country ramps up efforts to curb hundreds of millions of dollars lost to scams.

Online scammers are exploiting the faces and names of real Australian doctors to sell dietary supplements and peddle harmful medical advice, putting patients' health at risk.

George Alex and his four co-offenders faced a marathon six-month trial in the NSW Supreme Court over the scheme.

Police say four men charged with fraud offences used a sophisticated phishing scam to steal money from hundreds of bank accounts after customers were tricked with fake text messages.

Australian woman Donna Nelson has been found guilty of trafficking drugs into Japan. Here is how the two-year saga unfolded and what happens next.

A Sydney school principal and his brother-in-law are accused of mismanaging up to $1.4 million in funds intended for maintenance and building works at two high schools.

A court in Japan finds Australian grandmother Donna Nelson guilty of importing two kilograms of methamphetamine into the country.

Anne and a man she had met online messaged every day for weeks. Their chat history shows how scammers emotionally and psychologically manipulated her — and stole $46,000.

A court upholds the death penalty sentence against real estate tycoon Truong My Lan as she scrambles to repay billions of dollars.

Under two new changes, financial advertisers on Facebook and Instagram will be required to reveal who is paying for the ads and who benefits from them.