Crypto scams fleece Aussies of $321m this year
Already in 2022, Aussies have lost $321m to cryptocurrency scams including those falsely claiming Karl Stefanovic and Andrew Forrest have made a killing from bitcoin trading.
Public Defender
WestConnex class action lawyer says ‘something being hidden’
A lawyer preparing to represent homeowners affected by work on the nation’s biggest ever infrastructure project says he’s never seen such secrecy.
How car insurance could leave you $19K out of pocket
Experts are warning against agreed value car insurance policies, which can leave policyholders as much as $19,000 out of pocket.
Qantas loses luggage, charges $380 to bring new items home
After Qantas lost Corrinne Olsen’s bag, it gave her a toothbrush. Then it stung her $380 in excess luggage fees for the replacement items she bought before the bag turned up.
Wealth guru with ‘habit for not telling the truth’ banned
Wealth creation guru Dominique Grubisa told students to use Family Court data “to identify people in financial distress”. Now she’s in hot water with ASIC.
Twiggy Forrest v Facebook over false fortune claim
Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest is sick of people losing their life savings to fake ads on Facebook that make false claims about how he made his fortune.
ASIC sues Debt Negotiators over textual harassment
Sydney’s A&M Group — aka Debt Negotiators — is accused of calling or texting the immediate family of a debtor 16 times in a bid to coerce payment.
Class action looms over ASX disasters from China
Preparations are underway for a lawsuit representing investors in Chinese companies that have been delisted from the Australian stock market.
Teeth-straightening giant admits misleading Aussie customers
Teeth-aligner company SmileDirectClub has conceded it wasn’t straight with Australian customers, court documents reveal.
How to stop fake ATO, Medicare texts
Those annoying fake texts that purport to be from government agencies are about to be deleted permanently. Find out how.
NSW business racks up 600 complaints in six years
About 120 official complaints so far this year; more than double that in 2020. Now Tru Water and Fair Trading are set to face off in court.
‘Don’t answer the call if you don’t know the number’
More than 200 million scam calls targeting Aussies have been stopped this year. Communications Minister Paul Fletcher says don’t answer if you don’t know the number.
$250m ‘last resort’ compo for loan victims
Sydney’s Stephen Thomson was badgered into buying an investment property he couldn’t afford, in breach of lending laws. Under a new $250m government scheme, he may finally be compensated.
Phone users lose thousands in ‘SIM-swap’ scams
Sydney man ‘David’ had nearly $50,000 stolen from his bank account by fraudsters using the fast-rising ‘SIM-swap’ scam. Now a government crackdown looms.
Bad news for travellers seeking Covid refunds
Travel agents facing legal disputes over trips kiboshed by Covid-19 have been advised to cite a new tribunal decision that’s gone against a NSW mother and daughter.
Merc owners driven around the Benz
A Sydney woman logged 15 faults with her 2018 Mercedes-Benz coupe, which cost $165,000. An expert says the carmaker throws too many customers “under the bus.”
Mum’s phoney charge thrown out
HEAVILY pregnant Sydney woman, Pamela Bonney, who says a police officer told her video showed her holding a phone while driving has won her nine-month legal fight.
Power bills slashed for these Sydney suburbs
Two electricity retailers are slashing prices for more than 100,000 customers. But an increase of $200 annually looms for another region.
Teeth-straightening giant accused of deceiving Aussies
Teeth-straightening colossus SmileDirectClub allegedly misled Aussie customers in claiming their aligners would be covered by health insurance.
Why this restaurant copped a barrage of fake reviews
After a Menulog courier stormed out of this couple’s Sydney restaurant, one-star reviews flooded in. Here is how they stopped the attack.
Public Defender returns, with $50,000 Fiat refund
The Public Defender reader advocacy service is back with a $50,000 victory over Fiat — and shocking stories from other owners of Ducato vans.
Takata airbag behind woman’s death, ACCC finds
The ACCC has found a third Australian was killed by a Takata airbag, raising questions about why there was not a coronial inquest.
‘Sink Farm’ homeowners sue for tens of millions
A class action has been filed on behalf of thousands of homeowners in a sinking southwestern Sydney suburb, with tens of millions of dollars in damages being sought. See the pictures.
The Sydney suburbs producing the most toxic food
A new study says an alarming percentage of veggie gardens are laced with a toxic metal. Find out if your suburb is on the list.
Taps to be replaced as lead limit in water slashed
Lead, which is terrible for adults and worse for kids, is finally about to be reduced in tap water we drink, in a move said to be worth $2 billion.
Aussie sellers short-changed on eBay
AUSTRALIANS who sell on eBay say they are being stitched up because the $45 billion online auction behemoth is biased towards buyers.
‘The accident wasn’t even our fault’
STEWART Robinson was driving his partner Natasha Hogan’s car when a woman in a rental car crashed into them. Even though they were not at fault, Ms Hogan did not have comprehensive insurance on her $14,000 vehicle — so she lost everything.
Free legal advice from Brydens Lawyers
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‘That’s not the destination I booked’
JADE Thomas put all of her earnings from a cafe job towards a overseas high-school expedition. But when the destination changed, her request for a refund was turned down.
Airline denies refund for accidental booking
A SYDNEY man who accidentally purchased four flights to Tasmania a second time was denied a refund by the airline.
Airline bans woman due to broken nose
CHRISTINE Henderson was turned away by Etihad Airways because she had fractured her nose while waiting for a taxi to Sydney Airport.
2016 was the year of the underdog
THESE two mums are Public Defender’s consumer champions of 2016. They’re responsible for putting Samsung in a spin over dodgy washing machines.
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Rental car drove me to despair
KAREN Hurley paid a rental car company extra to reduce the excess to zero if she had a crash. Then her nightmare started. We’ve ended it.
Government in $220m super grab
JODHI Meares is among the high-profile people with unclaimed money. Find out if you have missing cash and what you need to do before the end of the year, when the Government will grab $220m more.
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The $10 million spank for bad business
THE maximum fine for breaking consumer laws should be ramped up to 10 times the existing penalty, the Productivity Commission says.
Get your legal drama sorted — NOW
WILLS. Accidents. Business disputes. Consumer issues. Negligence. Family court matters. Whatever your problem is, you can get expert advice here live and free — NOW. Ask away.
Legal action over Chris Harding sacking
AN internal war at one of the state’s most complained about businesses has triggered legal action over the sacking of its Australian-based director.
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$12,000 bill for useless Telstra travel pass
RACHEL Yeung paid Telstra $300 for an international mobile ‘travel pass’ before going overseas for a month. The pass didn’t work — but she was still hit with a $12,000 bill anyway.
Angry car owner forces Ford to focus on refund
WHILE up to 70,000 owners of dodgy Fords fume over a decision by their class action law firm to give up on pursuing refunds, one determined driver has motored to a big win.
Get expert legal advice — free — NOW
WILLS. Accidents. Business disputes. Consumer issues. Negligence. Family court matters. Whatever your problem is, you can get expert advice here live and free — NOW. Ask away.
$34k ring snared for $1k: ‘Make it quicker’
THE man who jagged a $34,000 engagement ring for $1100 has asked if the online retailer can make it faster. Meanwhile, the site has been shut down due to fear of a costly repeat.
Cut the crap and speak English
PUBLIC DEFENDER: This top judge has had it with legal mumbo-jumbo, urging those who hear cases to help non-experts understand what’s going on.
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Fiance got $34k ring for a grand
A SYDNEY-BASED diamond retailer says it will have to close down after mispricing a ring online.
Get your legal drama sorted — NOW
WILLS. Accidents. Business disputes. Consumer issues. Negligence. Family court matters. Whatever your problem is, you can get expert advice here live and free — NOW. Ask away.
Slugged with dead son’s timeshare debt
When Phil and Jillian Cousins’ son died not only were they burdened with grief, they were also lumped with years of maintaining his timeshare investment. Their only way out was an $18,000 lump sum.
Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/public-defender