‘We should be worried': From peanuts to paper, Australia's manufacturing industry is in crisis
From cars and steel to clothing, paper, glass and now even peanut butter, the long decline of Australia's domestic manufacturing industry seemingly claims a new casualty every other week.
The numbers behind the headlines are stark.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), in the year to June 2024, 5136 established manufacturing businesses — meaning those which had been in operation for at least five years — closed down.
National employer association the Australian Industry Group warns more up-to-date numbers will be even more dire.
'Australian manufacturing as a sector slipped into recession last year and is one of the weakest performing industries in Australia today,' AI Group chief executive Innes Willox said in a statement.
AI Group on Tuesday released new research highlighting the dire situation faced by Australian manufacturing as a result of 'soaring energy and input costs, skills shortages, trade risks and productivity'.
'Australian manufacturing and its almost one million employees face deepening risks unless urgent economy-wide reforms are undertaken to return the industry to growth and boost its falling productivity,' Mr Willox said.
'We should be worried. Manufacturing directly employs 930,000 people, generating over 12 per cent of our exports and 8 per cent of capex investment despite being only 5 per cent of GDP.'
Mr Willox said cost pressures on the sector were 'excessive', with input prices having risen 37 per cent in the five years since the pandemic, outstripping inflation of 22 per cent.
'They are paying 48 per cent more for gas than they were in 2019, threatening the viability of energy-intensive branches of manufacturing,' he said.
'We are seeing an increase in plant closures or reduced activity in key economic sectors due to energy cost pressures.'
Skills shortages are also taking a toll, with 61 per cent of trades and technician roles in the country currently difficult to fill. Trades account for 28 per cent of the manufacturing workforce.
'We also need to urgently address declining productivity in manufacturing,' Mr Willox said.
'Labour productivity in the sector has declined by 3.7 per cent over the past decade and overall productivity is down by 1 per cent. The malaise of declining productivity makes it harder for employers to deliver sustainable wage increases, and it weakens our international competitiveness at the very time trade disputes are under extra competitive pressure.'
Treasurer Jim Chalmers will host an economic reform roundtable in Canberra next month bringing together political, corporate, union and community leaders.
Mr Willox said the gathering would be an opportunity to 'begin a clear reform path around the issues of energy, workforce, productivity and international competitiveness'.
AI Group has previously warned Australia's 'unsustainable' taxpayer-funded jobs boom is masking critical weakness in private sector employment.
Nearly one in five workers in Australia is a government employee.
Last year, 80 per cent of all new jobs created were either in the public service or the 'non-market' sector — government-funded industries like education or healthcare, largely through the ballooning National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Here are some of the victims of Australia's manufacturing crisis.
Peanut butter
Last week, Bega Group announced the closure of the 100-year-old Peanut Company of Australia (PCA), blaming 'sustained financial pressure' and ongoing annual losses of $5-10 million.
PCA and its predecessors have been based in the Queensland town of Kingaroy, dubbed the Peanut Capital of Australia, since 1924.
A phased shutdown of PCA's facilities in Kingaroy and Tolga will take place over the next 18 months, with up to 150 jobs at risk.
Bega acquired PCA in 2017 but said it had 'not been able to establish a sustainable business model' despite a 12-month strategic review and several attempts to sell the business.
The company said the shutdown comes amid growing challenges in the Australian peanut industry, including import competition, rising costs, falling production and better returns from alternative crops.
South Burnett Mayor Kathy Duff said it was a 'sad day' and 'devastating news for our region'. 'It has rocked our community, as Kingaroy is the home of peanuts and the silos are an iconic part of the region's history — that is why they are heritage listed,' she said.
Bega said it would continue to operate facilities in Crestmead and Malanda, along with its existing distribution network in Queensland.
Cars
Nearly a century of car manufacturing in Australia officially came to an end in October 2017 with the closure of Holden's Elizabeth factory near Adelaide, following Toyota and Ford out the door.
Mitsubishi had already closed its Australian plants in 2004 and 2008.
High local costs and rising competition from cheap imports made Australia's car industry unsustainable, and the refusal of the federal government to continue propping up manufacturers with millions of dollars in subsidies was the final nail in the coffin.
Then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull insisted it was simply due to 'changes in market taste' towards SUVs and small cars, and denied the federal government was to blame.
'People stopped buying the sedans being made in Australia,' he said. 'The manufacturers who've progressively closed their operations in Australia have made it clear it's not because of a failure of government subsidies.'
The car industry had argued that no country could sustain an automotive manufacturing base without some combination of tax incentives, import tariffs or government assistance.
'The Australian market is too small and the industry cannot fully exploit economies of scale,' Professor Abbas Valadkhani from Swinburne University of Technology wrote in 2016.
'It is very difficult to compete when labour costs in some Asian countries are only one-fourth of that of Australia.'
Tyres
Bridgestone, Australia's last tyre manufacturer, finally rolled out the door in 2010 after 45 years.
The Japanese tyre giant blamed the closure of its Australian and New Zealand factories on 'international competitive forces' that had made the operations 'no longer viable'.
Around 600 jobs were lost at the Adelaide plant, with another 275 in Christchurch.
'As the last tyre manufacturer in Australia and New Zealand, we have all worked hard over many years to avoid today's decision,' former Bridgestone Australia senior executive director Andrew Moffatt said at the time.
'However, the unfortunate reality is that Bridgestone Australia Ltd. can no longer commercially justify the continued operation of these facilities. We are proud of the fact that we have managed to keep these two manufacturing facilities open for so long and have provided employment and economic benefits to so many people over such a long period.'
US-based Goodyear had announced the closure of its last Melbourne factory, South Pacific Tyres, two years earlier.
The company also blamed Australia's high costs, saying the move would save it around $US35 million ($54 million) a year.
'Going forward, our efforts will be focused on increasing production of high-value-added tyres in low-cost operations to support growth in these segments in Asia-Pacific markets, including Australia and New Zealand,' Goodyear chairman and chief executive Robert J. Keegan said at the time.
Glass
Oceania Glass, Australia's last manufacturer of architectural glass, collapsed into insolvency earlier this year after posting a $1.2 million annual loss.
The Melbourne-based company had supplied glass for homes and offices since 1856.
'Our glass is featured in many of Australia's most iconic buildings, including the Australian Parliament House,' its website noted.
Oceania Glass, which employed 260 people, had previously complained to the federal government's Anti-Dumping Commission it was unable to compete with cheaper imports from China and Thailand, after tariffs were removed during the pandemic.
Australian Workers' Union Victorian secretary Ronnie Hayden warned in February that there would be a 'tsunami of cheap products dumped in Australia' if the commission took too long to investigate complaints.
'If we don't give the Anti-Dumping Commission more powers and more resources, then we are not going to be ready to deal with this, and there'll be a lot more factories closing down in the future,' Mr Hayden told the Herald Sun.
'It's glass but it's also like steel will be next. The steel industry are on the knees with the amount of steel that's been brought into the country, when we know we can make it here.'
Clothes
Australia once had a thriving clothing and apparel manufacturing sector, but those jobs have long since moved overseas to factories in Asia with only a handful of niche or specialist producers remaining.
The dismantling of Australia's protectionist tariff system beginning in the 1980s all but wiped out local industry, resulting in thousands of job losses as iconic names like Pacific Brands' Bonds and Berlei closed down their factories one by one.
In 1985, the textile industry employed 20,300 people while clothing and footwear manufacturing supported 71,900 jobs, according to the ABS.
At the time, imports only accounted for 25 per cent of the clothing sold in Australia.
Today, local manufacturing employs fewer than 1000 workers, and less than 5 per cent of Australian clothing is made in the country.
'Over the past decades, clothing and textiles manufacturing has declined to around 1.5 per cent of Australia's manufacturing output, as activities have been offshored to countries with cheap labour,' the Australian Fashion Council (AFC) said in a 2022 report.
'However, with increased automation, clothing and textiles can become more capital intensive, positioning Australia as a potential textiles manufacturing powerhouse, particularly for high-quality goods.'
The peak body noted that as a result of Covid, many Australian brands were 'now looking to manufacture locally to deliver vertical, sustainable and de-risked supply chains'.
Paper
Australia no longer makes its own white paper.
Opal Australian Paper, a subsidiary of Japanese paper giant Nippon, was forced to cease white paper production at its Maryvale mill in Victoria's Latrobe Valley in December 2022, leading to 200 job losses.
The company had been devastated by court decision a month earlier which crippled its ability to make paper.
Government-owned timber business VicForests lost a Supreme Court case which found it was not doing enough to protect endangered wildlife including two possum species, forcing it to scale back timber harvesting in parts of rural Victoria.
VicForests was a massive supplier for Opal Australian Paper and the company was unable to find a suitable replacement to continue producing white paper.
Opal announced a further 220 job cuts across Australia and New Zealand last year.
In a memo to staff obtained by the ABC, the company blamed 'a series of unplanned challenges' including Covid and rising energy costs, as well as 'market disruptions' from the cessation of white paper production that were 'continuing to severely impact Opal's financial performance'.
The Maryvale mill, one of the Latrobe Valley's largest employers, still manufactures brown paper products.
Steel
The Whyalla wipe-out may still arrive, just a few years later than forecast.
Australia's $29 billion steel industry is effectively on life support, after decades of decline in the face of rising costs and competition from Asian producers.
BHP's Newcastle Steelworks, which opened in 1914 and employed up to 16,000 people at its peak, closed in 1999 in what was, at the time, the biggest-ever blow to Australian industry.
While the broader industry employs some 110,000 workers, today there are just two steel producers, BlueScope's Port Kembla plant in NSW and the troubled Whyalla Steelworks in South Australia.
Whyalla was built by BHP in 1941, spun off as OneSteel in 2000 and renamed Arrium in 2012. It collapsed into administration in 2016 before being rescued by British billionaire Sanjeev Gupta's GFG Alliance in 2017, but promised upgrades to the plant did not eventuate.
The South Australian government again forced the Whyalla Steelworks into administration in February, citing concerns about underinvestment by GFG and the plant's financial viability. Administrators KordaMentha revealed in March the steelworks was losing $1.5 million a day, totalling $319 million in the seven months to January, before its collapse leaving $1.34 billion in debts.
A sale process is currently underway, with reports BlueScope has been granted a rare right-of-last refusal in the deal.
BlueScope, the country's largest steelmaker, was last year handed nearly $140 million by the federal government to upgrade its Port Kembla plant, as part of a $200 million rescue package that included $63 million for Whyalla.
In 2017, a parliamentary inquiry into the future of Australia's steel industry warned that rising power prices were affecting the viability of steel and other energy-intensive industries. 'The committee is concerned that without remedial measures and a tenable bipartisan plan to reduce energy costs, the future of the Australian steel industry remains in doubt,' the report said.
Plastics
Australia's largest plastics maker, Qenos, collapsed into administration last year, blaming multimillion-dollar losses amid soaring gas prices.
The Chinese-owned chemical manufacturer produced plastic resin products extensively used across household and industrial packaging. Qenos employed 700 people and operated plants at Altona in Melbourne and Botany in Sydney, which ceased operations earlier in 2023.
At the time, AI Group's Mr Willox warned the decision to place Qenos into administration 'reflects the erosion of key pillars of Australia's industrial landscape — and risks causing much more'.
'A whole range of industrial and commercial products depends on the flow of resources and materials between oil and gas producers, refiners, chemicals businesses like Qenos, intermediate manufacturers of products like food and beverage packaging, and downstream users like food processors,' he said.
'Any house in Australia will have multiple polyethylene products in it. The closure of the ExxonMobil refinery in Victoria in 2021, driven by age and the pressures of the pandemic, dealt a blow to Qenos and many other businesses in the industrial ecosystem.'
But Mr Willox said 'most of all, the long-term rise in natural gas prices eroded Qenos's competitiveness and its prospects'. 'Prices rose over the past decade because of the takeoff of LNG exports, the erosion of Southern gas production, and the lack of adequate planning to manage these long-foreseen developments,' he said.
Other Australian plastics and chemical manufacturers have gone under or moved operations offshore in recent years.
Adelaide-based wheelie bin maker Trident Plastics — one of the largest custom moulders in Australia — collapsed in 2023.
Rising gas prices and increasing international competition were also cited by Dow Chemical in its decision to shut its Altona plant in 2019.
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SBS Australia
16 minutes ago
- SBS Australia
'Our brains are becoming overloaded': Why workplaces are due for an update
By the time mother-of-two Anna Dadic gets into the office in the morning, she already feels like she's "fought three wars". The 42-year-old lives in the inner-west Sydney suburb of Marrickville, works full-time and is still breastfeeding her youngest child. She says she's constantly exhausted. On weekdays, her routine starts at 5.30am so she can ready herself for work and drop her kids off at childcare. She describes the process as "rinse and repeat". "We are regimented in our routine and if anything upsets the order of things [such as someone falling sick] everything gets a lot harder," she says. Dadic's husband does childcare pick-ups in the evenings, but then there's dinner to prepare, bathtime and the battle to put her children to bed. Winter is dreadful, she says, because the kids pick up various bugs from childcare. "We are pretty socially isolated. Evening plans feel impossible, and we are usually too tired anyway, so they happen rarely." In Australia, Dadic's situation is not unique. Most women now work and continue doing so even after having children. Modern working conditions due for an update? Next year will mark 100 years since US carmaker Henry Ford pioneered a five-day work week for employees in his factories, which was a reduction from the six days generally worked. Swinburne University associate professor of management John Hopkins believes modern working conditions are again due for an update, including the possibility of working fewer hours. Henry Ford pioneered the five-day work week in his US factories almost 100 years ago. Source: Getty / PhotoQuest While the concept of a four-day work week has been discussed for more than 50 years, in the past decade, there has been a noticeable uptick in demand for more flexible work arrangements. Hopkins says that over the past century, new technologies such as the internet have sped up the rate at which people can work, but this hasn't necessarily freed up time for workers. "It's actually worked the opposite. They are just required to do more work in the same amount of time," he says. Hopkins says technology has even led to people working longer hours because it allows them to check emails or be available after work. We've had this intensification of work over the last 100 years where we're doing a lot more work in those eight hours per day than we were ever doing before ... and our brains are becoming overloaded. "We need more time to rest [and] recover." The benefits of working less Japan, which is struggling with record-low birth rates, is shortening working hours as a way of encouraging parenthood. In April, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government introduced a flexible work system that allows its employees to take three days off per week while maintaining the same total working hours over a four-week period. In a statement to SBS News, a spokesperson says the program allows employees to balance work and childcare responsibilities, and also helps those without children care for family members or pursue personal development. An additional program specifically for parents of young children allows them to shorten their working hours by up to two hours per day. "These hours do not need to be made up at a later date," the spokesperson says. Hopkins says his research has found significant benefits to allowing workers to reduce their work hours — with no drop in salary — including a reduction in sick days, staff turnover, burnout and work-related stress. Japan has announced measures to ease the pressures of working life as it attempts to improve its low birth rate. Source: Getty / Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg As part of Hopkins' recent research project in Australia, 10 senior managers were interviewed about their experiences with introducing the four-day work week. A preview report released in 2023 showed that 70 per cent of employers observed increased productivity, while the other 30 per cent reported no change. None reported a drop. Positive results included reduced sick days and better ability to compete for talent and retain staff. Workers found they had time to complete life admin tasks, take weekends away (including visiting family) and invest in self-care activities, such as exercise, massages and doctor visits. They also had more time to participate in hobbies. This week, a paper published in the scientific journal Nature Human Behaviour also reported that employees who trialled a four-day work week were less likely to suffer burnout, had a higher rate of job satisfaction, and better mental and physical health. More than 2,800 employees across 141 organisations in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland and the US were surveyed. Ahead of the six-month trial, low-value activities such as "unnecessary meetings" were eliminated to prepare people for working reduced hours. The four-day work week is just one of several flexible work arrangements that are becoming increasingly popular, including hybrid work, remote work, unlimited leave, gender-neutral parental leave and flexible public holidays. 'You need time to rest and recover' Hopkins says one of the reasons Henry Ford dropped the number of work days from six to five was because he realised productivity didn't drop. To perform at your best, to be the most productive, most efficient, you need time to rest and you need time to recover. Hopkins points to AFL players as an example, noting they only play games once a week for six months of the year. "If they were to play twice a week or three times a week, what would happen? They'd start to get more injuries, their performance would drop off." Just as athletes can get physical injuries if they push themselves too hard, other workers are susceptible to burnout. Source: Getty / Morgan Hancock He says some of the people interviewed for the four-day week survey said they no longer experienced the "Sunday scaries" before the start of the working week, when they would usually feel scared or apprehensive. It also gave people more time to reflect on their work, Hopkins says, and identify ways of improving. "You never have a good idea when you're working, you have a good idea when you're in the shower or when you're taking the dog for a walk, because your brain is thinking about different things and allows you to be creative," he says. "So it is about striking that right balance between work and rest and recovery to optimise performance." Young and middle-aged workers are feeling exhausted Hopkins believes that work hours will be reassessed, partly because workers are feeling burnt out. A 2023 Melbourne University study on the State of the Future of Work found that 33 per cent of young and middle-aged workers reported difficulty concentrating at work because of their responsibilities outside of work. This compares to just 11 per cent of mature workers (aged 55 years or older). The study looked at data from 1,400 Australian workers and found prime-aged workers (between 18 and 54 years old) were also twice as likely to feel like they didn't have enough time to do everything they needed to do compared to older workers. More than half of the workers without access to flexible work surveyed reported feeling exhausted (55 per cent) compared to 45 workers who had access to flexible conditions. They also felt less motivated while at work. Unions push for four-day work week This week, both the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) issued statements calling for a shorter working week to be introduced, ahead of the federal government's productivity roundtable next month. Steve Murphy, national secretary of the AMWU, says gains from improved productivity over the past decade have gone to bosses and not to workers. "The best and most logical way to fairly share the gains of productivity is for workers to not have to work as many hours, and to move to a shorter working week," he says. Productivity cannot be at the expense of the wellbeing of workers. The most recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows labour productivity fell by 1 per cent in the year to March, even though the number of hours worked rose by 2.3 per cent. A Productivity Commission bulletin in June noted productivity growth over the past decade had stagnated. "In the absence of a growing productivity dividend, the dream of a more balanced life ... risks slipping out of reach for many Australians," it says. Since 1980, Australians have used about 23 per cent of their productivity dividend — the savings from increasing productivity via automation and technological advancements — to work less, and banked the other 77 per cent as higher income. The report notes that Australians have opted to use those savings to upgrade their lifestyles, such as buying fancier coffee and taking more expensive holidays, rather than further shortening their workdays. It's hoped artificial intelligence (AI) will drive further productivity improvements, and unions want these benefits to be shared with workers. ANMF federal secretary Annie Butler says the union believes shorter working weeks will promote gender equality because it will allow caring responsibilities to be more easily shared between partners, as noted in a 2023 report by the Senate Select Committee on Work and Care. Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation federal secretary Annie Butler says the union supports shorter working hours. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas "By changing the definition of 'full-time' work and encouraging a culture shift away from a focus on hours to that of productivity and work quality, the reduced hour model may lead to the removal of some of the barriers to women's professional advancement," the committee's report says. Part-time jobs may also be better paid because working for two days would be considered "half a full-time equivalent". Butler says shorter working weeks would have a positive effect on women's workforce participation, increase the number of hours workers have to balance their well-being and care responsibilities, and ultimately improve retention. Could a four-day week be backed by government? The Greens also support the introduction of a four-day work week. "[It's] a better way to work and one that puts the health and happiness of workers first, while allowing the productivity of businesses to soar," Greens spokesperson for jobs and employment, Senator Barbara Pocock, says. It's a win for workers and a win for workplaces. As part of its election campaign, the Greens supported bringing a test case to the Fair Work Commission and establishing a national institute to guide implementation of a four-day work week. Pocock says the Greens remain committed to the policy. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told The Australian newspaper this week he would support practical measures from the productivity roundtable that had broad support from business, unions and civil society. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he is looking for productivity measures that have broad support. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas The Coalition, which walked back a proposal to force Canberra public servants back into the office five days a week during the federal election campaign , appeared non-committal when asked whether it supported the four-day work week. "Liberals believe in agency and empowerment," Coalition spokesperson for industrial relations and employment Tim Wilson said in a statement to SBS News. "Improving standards of living comes from partnerships to get ahead through salaries, startups, shareholdings and small business, and we are going to back Australians to back themselves." While there are benefits to a shorter working week, Hopkins' research on the four-day work week also identified several challenges. This includes overcoming scepticism about its potential to increase productivity, making changes to roster systems so that staff can maintain services over five days, and the management of part-time workers. Hopkins says moving to a four-day work week is not easy; it takes planning and piloting, but the businesses that have introduced the policy have stuck with it and seen the benefits, including being better able to attract and retain talented staff. Families have changed since the 1950s Demographer Liz Allen, from the Australian National University, says providing extra workplace flexibility could help couples manage the stresses of family life, but it was only one part of the puzzle if authorities want to boost Australia's declining birthrate , which is now at a record low of 1.5 babies per woman. Issues such as housing affordability, economic security, gender equality and climate change also need to be addressed. She says many Australians are struggling to raise families within systems that have been developed based on outdated gender norms. "When it comes to unpaid household work, men are not doing their fair share, and that's not the fault of men, that's how we've been conditioned," she says. Our tax system, our workplace system, all manner of things, are trapping us in this 1950s model of the perfect family. "Family doesn't look like that anymore, family has changed, and the structural supports have not kept [up] with the times." Allen says it may be time to go back to the drawing board rather than continue "trying to fit a square peg into a round hole". "We keep beating ourselves up because we can't get it to work. "We lack the vision to do something different." People want a share of the time saved by AI While arrangements such as working from home have delivered time savings for some workers, not everyone benefits from this. Hopkins says only about a third of jobs are remote-capable. [Some] people feel like they've been left behind. Their white collar colleagues have all of a sudden gained all this flexibility and ability to work from home over the last few years and they haven't gained anything. However, improved rostering and better access to holidays could help these workers, says Hopkins. There may also be scope to consider whether a worker can perform some elements of their role at home, such as a train driver who may also have administrative tasks and logbooks to complete. AI may help employees work faster and Hopkins says "people want a share in the time that's saved". Workers want a share of the time saved by new technology such as AI. Source: Getty / Oscar Wong "They don't want to be working the same number of hours that people were working 100 years ago." But he says this will ultimately come down to the management of technology and business owners. 'A miserable feeling' Dadic works from home two days a week, and her husband works a four-day week a couple of times a month. Her mother also helps out when her children — aged three and 16 months — are sick or something urgent comes up. She worries that she and her husband are too tired to be fully present with their kids and are missing the joyful moments. "I worry that, over time, that could have an impact on [the kids]." Anna Dadic says she is exhausted due to juggling the demands of full-time work and being a mother to two children. Source: Supplied Dadic's aware of how lucky she is and how much worse things could be, but worries she's not living life to the fullest because she's constantly stressed and running on empty. "That's a miserable feeling," she says. "It's this constant cycle of guilt, worry, and self-criticism that's hard to break." Additional reporting by AAP This is part two of a series looking at how modern families are balancing the pressures of working life. Read part one here.
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Sam thought he had a marketing job — it was actually a task-based scam
Unknown sender: Hi! I'm Patricia,I have some openings that might interest you. Okay to send the details? Yes or Stop Many of us receive texts like this. Most never respond. But Sam* had recently uploaded his resume to employment sites. He was expecting to be contacted with job offers, so he didn't realise he was falling into a trap. Sam: Hi what type of opportunities? Unknown sender: We offer FT, PT!Benefits: -Flexible hours-life balance -AU Citizen/PR/Visa Holder(T&C) -Age 23 years or above -Wages will issue on time Sam: Type of roles ? Unknown sender: This is a online j0B with a variety of j0B types for your to choose from. Can send the complete details to you whatsapp? Then you can decide. By the time Sam cut contact days after these initial messages, he said he had lost thousands of dollars. "I didn't notice the red flags. I don't know what my mind was thinking because I've been going through a lot," he said. Going back over reams of correspondence between Sam and the scammers, we've enlisted the help of experts to examine where things went wrong and the warning signs he missed. Let's start with these early texts. Red flag: Error-riddled messages The first messages Sam shared with the scammers reveal signs that something could be amiss. Inconsistencies in the formatting and spelling of messages can be indicators of a scam. It can be as subtle as a misspelled word or a punctuation mark that's out of place. Other times, it can be obvious. Let's take another look at a message from Patricia: Unknown sender: This is a online j0B with a variety of j0B types for your to choose from. You've probably spotted some issues. It has been theorised that this may be a deliberate tactic to weed out vigilant people who would be less likely to fall for a scam. "Those who remain are the scammer's ideal targets," Microsoft researcher Cormac Herley wrote of people who responded to scam emails purporting to be from Nigerian royalty. Unsolicited contact and a desire to move communications to WhatsApp should also raise alarm bells. According to Griffith University cybercrime and criminology expert Andrew Childs, scammers have taken to legitimate employment marketplaces such as Seek and Indeed to post fraudulent job advertisements. The advertisements do not contain much information about the company or the tasks related to the role. Often, victims are solicited directly through messaging platforms such as WhatsApp or investment scam groups on Telegram. The job A couple of days after the initial messages, a man calling himself Ellis contacted Sam on WhatsApp, claiming Patricia had passed on his contact details to discuss job opportunities with what he said was a media company. Sam questioned the application process several times, but instead of providing a clear answer, Ellis continued to share more information about the role. He said no relevant experience was needed and jumped straight into explaining the tasks Sam would have as a "brand publiciser". The role promised a minimum weekly wage of $900, paid daily, with the potential of an increase. Red flag: Unrealistically high wages for easy work Levon Blue, a University of Queensland lecturer specialising in financial literacy and cryptocurrency, expressed concern about the wages offered. "The amount seems to be pretty high for a job that doesn't necessarily require a lot of expertise or experience," she said. The scam also promised daily payment, which was uncommon in Australia. A 'paid' trial Initially, Sam was taken aback that Ellis did not ask for any personal information, given that he did not meet the age requirement mentioned in the initial messages from Patricia. But, when Ellis offered to demonstrate the workflow using the company's work platform, he agreed to give it a shot. Sam was told he would be paid in exchange for 45 minutes of his time and was instructed to verify the legitimacy of the company's website with a Google search. He was actually being subjected to digital sleight of hand. Sam: Show me how it works and I will see if I am interested in signing up Where is your company based? Ellis: Okay now you can open a browser and search for Codify Media Hub Then you'll need to register your own work account with my referral code (8453E9). Remember to keep each password in case you forget it. Red flag: Phoney website Codify Media is a legitimate company based in the UK. It has carried a scam warning on its home page saying its brand has been duplicated by scammers, since Sam made contact. The company told the ABC it was working to report the scam to appropriate authorities. The scammers appeared to have tricked Sam when encouraging him to verify their website. When Ellis instructed Sam to search for the company, he did so by telling him to Google a specific phrase: "Codify Media Hub". However, the real Codify Media said it had never used the term "Codify Media Hub" in its work, raising the possibility Ellis fed the phrase to Sam, knowing a Google search for that particular term would return a similar website owned by the scammers, rather than the real one. Codify Media said it had since reported a fraudulent domain which was using the term, and searches for "Codify Media Hub" now directed to the scam warning on the real company's website. Both Dr Blue and Dr Childs urged people to take their time to assess whether a company might be a scam by carefully checking out their website. When looking up a company on search engines, Dr Blue advised typing in the name of the company along with the words "scam" and "fraud" in the search bar. "You can also try to look for the company on LinkedIn or other places for reviews," Dr Blue said. "You can ask AI what [it thinks] about what's being offered." Scamwatch is also a good source to stay across the latest operating scams. "You can learn more about the fake investment websites that are designed to look like you're investing through a particular crypto exchange platform or company," Dr Blue said. Dr Childs suggested paying attention to the website and trying to answer these questions. "Does the company have their own domain, or are they using a Gmail account and pretending to be affiliated with an actual company? "Does the website have spelling mistakes? Is there a physical address?" How the job worked In his trial with Ellis, Sam was told his work would involve uploading content to social media on behalf of brands he understood to be clients of his employer. In reality, the brands had nothing to do with the scam. Ellis acted as Sam's mentor, guiding him through the registration process and workflows in the trial account. The work structure Ellis outlined at first seemed simple, but became increasingly convoluted. Ellis described a system where, on top of Sam's usual duties, he would have to address "interbrand" requests, which required urgent prioritisation and yielded higher rewards. As time went on, he was also introduced to "special events", which would offer additional bonuses. The job increasingly began to resemble a game. Red flag: 'Gamification' of tasks Sam didn't know it yet, but he was in the snare of a task-based scam. The gamified aspect of the job, where mundane tasks are rewarded, is an important part of the trust-building, Dr Childs said. "The victim will be presented with a high-value task that can increase their earnings, but in order to achieve the payouts from those high-value tasks, they need to do things like unlock the next level or recharge their accounts by paying their own money into the platform," he said. Dr Blue said the complicated stages and the exclusivity of bonus giveaways that Ellis described to Sam seemed "deceptive". "There were some bonus giveaways that appeared to be there just for doing your own work," she said. "If it's an employment contract or arrangement, you wouldn't be eligible, you would receive that." According to a National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC) spokesperson, characteristics of task-based scams include: Advertising on social media, with victims also potentially receiving contact on messaging apps. Scammers may also impersonate well-known recruitment companies. Advertising on social media, with victims also potentially receiving contact on messaging apps. Scammers may also impersonate well-known recruitment companies. Offering work-from-home opportunities with flexible hours and no experience required. Offering work-from-home opportunities with flexible hours and no experience required. Scammers communicate with encrypted messaging platforms, such as WhatsApp, iMessage, and Telegram. Scammers communicate with encrypted messaging platforms, such as WhatsApp, iMessage, and Telegram. Victims are instructed to do simple repetitive tasks, such as liking videos or rating product images. Victims are instructed to do simple repetitive tasks, such as liking videos or rating product images. Victims believe they are working for well-known businesses, such as Amazon or Airbnb. Victims believe they are working for well-known businesses, such as Amazon or Airbnb. Scammers demand increasing amounts of the victims' money to be paid to "unlock" commissions. Scammers demand increasing amounts of the victims' money to be paid to "unlock" commissions. Payment is usually made using cryptocurrency. Signs of trouble Within minutes of starting his trial, Sam was delivered an error message warning of an "insufficient balance", preventing him from reaching his daily upload goal. A screenshot Sam took of error messages preventing him from performing tasks. ( Supplied: Sam ) Sam raised this with Ellis, who told him to confer with a "customer service portal" which could resolve the issue before he could continue his work. At the end of the shift, Ellis calculated the total earnings for the day and asked if Sam had a cryptocurrency wallet to receive his salary. Sam didn't have one, so Ellis helped him create an account on Coinbase, a cryptocurrency trading platform. Red flag: Pay offered in cryptocurrency Dr Childs said scammers used trial tasks, like the one Sam was subjected to, to assess whether recruits were comfortable using cryptocurrency exchanges, which became a vehicle for stealing victims' money. Dr Blue warned that payment via cryptocurrency would also attract additional tax. "For tax purposes, when you sell cryptocurrency, you're subject to capital gains taxes," Dr Blue said. How much you would need to pay on the cryptocurrency depends on how long you have owned the amount for and fluctuations in its value. Falling in deep Sam began completing regular duties for the scammers, as Ellis ingratiated himself as Sam's mentor and friend. Ellis: Any plans for today? Sam: Not much, just spending time with the family over the holidays Ellis: Perfect, there's nothing like spending quality time with your family over the Holidays Sam: I definitely agree Ellis: I plan to take my kids to the mall to buy some Christmas gifts … When I was young I was just like you, finding ways to make money while completing my studies. I've been a waitress [sic.], a delivery boy, and assistant Between these conversations, Ellis would make subtle suggestions for Sam to consider investing more to be eligible for a Christmas event, which would reap higher bonuses and rewards. As he worked, Sam's account balance increased, but when he tried to withdraw the money he believed he had earned, roadblocks were laid in front of him. He would be asked to complete additional tasks to unlock more stages and was required to retain money in a work account. Even when he could finally make a withdrawal, Sam was told he needed to retain $100 in his work account for 14 days. The giveaway question Soon after, Ellis floated a question both experts call a major warning. Ellis: Did you know that this job requires working with your own money? Ellis explained that a deposit in the form of a cryptocurrency known as USDT was required from employees dealing with the "interbrands" he had previously introduced. Ellis: If you get interbrand on your work account, then you'll need to use your money to buy some USDT to complete it Sam, already in deep with the scam, believed that his deposits would be returned to him at the end of the day. A drop in the bucket The money Sam had begun contributing to the scammers' accounts represented a tiny amount of Australian losses to scams. 2023 saw the highest losses in job scams at $24.4 million, with more than 5,000 reports lodged across employment and pyramid scams. According to an NASC spokesperson, the centre's work in combating financial losses from job scams contributed to a decline in losses in 2024. Dr Blue said millennials were showing strong interest in cryptocurrency-related ventures, but a lack of knowledge was harmful. "Sometimes that little bit you know can lead you to do things that expose you to more risk," she said. Dr Blue warned against buying into the stigma around the type of people who fell for scams. "In the past, there's this narrative that it's people who don't necessarily have high education levels or might have English as a second language," she said. But her research showed how far that notion sat from the truth. "All sorts of people were vulnerable in different ways," she said. Pressured into paying up Sam resisted putting more money into his account until he reached a point where an apparent lack of funds inhibited his ability to complete tasks. Eventually, he caved, believing he would lose access to the money he had earned if he failed to make a deposit. As he fell deeper into the scam, Ellis further manipulated Sam, priming him for if banks came calling. Ellis: I forgot to tell you. Banks are sensitive to the word crypto. If you get a call from the bank, tell them you have investments of your own as an easy pass. If you tell them about the job, you would be subjected to a review and they would freeze your bank account Sam continued in the cycle until a final "interbrand" popped up on his screen. This one requested a deposit of $18,000 for him to continue his work. Sam was stuck, having met the daily withdrawal limit on his bank account. If he couldn't make a deposit, he would lose access to the wages he believed he had earned, along with the thousands of dollars of his own money he had deposited. His requests for help were met by Ellis with dubious advice about moving his money across different currencies and crypto wallets. Sam's alarm bells started ringing for the first time. He finally started to see his job for what it was: a scam. Ellis: What is your definition of a scam? The internet describes a scam as not getting money, not making any money, and you do make money at this job right? Sam: The only solution is to get the police involved here … If I don't get my deposited money back I don't want profits or any bonuses I want the deposits I made back Ellis: … So do you think police can help you get your money back? Sam: You'll regret it when the police come after you Ellis: Please watch your words mate, now it's you don't have enough money to finish the job so it's a scam? Over the next few days, Ellis continued to message Sam, trying to exploit him further. But Sam had wised up. Ellis: Please tell me if you need my help of $1,500 USD hey mate How ya going How is it going mate? Red flag: Falling for the 'sunk cost fallacy' Dr Childs explained the psychology behind Sam's decision to keep going when asked to deposit money so he could keep working. "People can fall deeper into the trap the longer they stay in it," he said. And the same applies to victims who struggle to walk away because they believe they have invested so much. "If I just pay this extra little bit, then I'll unlock the next level, and that's when I can actually get paid out in crypto for all these tasks," Dr Childs explained. In some cases, victims may not even get a single cent. "In other cases … scammers could send dodgy screenshots for payment then weeks pass, and no payment ever actually comes through," Dr Childs said. "Cryptocurrency as a whole isn't a scam, like for a lot of people, it's part of quite a diverse investment portfolio, and there's a legitimate consumer demand." He said cryptocurrency scams happen because "people jump to the key features that scammers love about the anonymity of the payments". Dr Blue believed scammers were incorporating cryptocurrency because they knew they could exploit people, since not everyone was across how it worked. On a larger scale, Dr Childs said scammers used cryptocurrency to get people to participate in money laundering. Calls for education and more support for victims Months have passed since Sam's encounter with a job scam, and he's still chasing his money. He's made a report to the police and his bank, but may never recover the thousands of dollars he lost to the scam. "I've heard of cryptocurrency before, but I wasn't very educated about it, so that's how I fell into the trap," he said. "I hope my story spreads awareness and more insight for others who may have maybe fallen into the scam as well, but then they're afraid to speak up." Dr Levon Blue believes there is a lack in financial literacy when it comes to cryptocurrency. ( Supplied: Dr Levon Blue ) #conversation Unknown sender: Hi! I'm Patricia,I have some openings that might interest you. Okay to send the details? Yes or Stop Many of us receive texts like this. Most never respond. But Sam* had recently uploaded his resume to employment sites. He was expecting to be contacted with job offers, so he didn't realise he was falling into a trap. Sam: Hi what type of opportunities? Unknown sender: We offer FT, PT!Benefits: -Flexible hours-life balance -AU Citizen/PR/Visa Holder(T&C) -Age 23 years or above -Wages will issue on time Sam: Type of roles ? Unknown sender: This is a online j0B with a variety of j0B types for your to choose from. Can send the complete details to you whatsapp? Then you can decide. By the time Sam cut contact days after these initial messages, he said he had lost thousands of dollars. "I didn't notice the red flags. I don't know what my mind was thinking because I've been going through a lot," he said. Going back over reams of correspondence between Sam and the scammers, we've enlisted the help of experts to examine where things went wrong, and the warning signs he missed. Let's start with these early texts. Red flag: Error-riddled messages The first messages Sam shared with the scammers reveal signs something could be amiss. Inconsistencies in the formatting and spelling of messages can be indicators of a scam. It can be as subtle as a misspelled word or a punctuation mark that's out of place. Other times, it can be obvious. Let's take another look at a message from Patricia: Unknown sender: This is a online j0B with a variety of j0B types for your to choose from. You've probably spotted some issues. It has been theorised this may be a deliberate tactic to weed out vigilant people who would be less likely to fall for a scam. "Those who remain are the scammer's ideal targets," Microsoft researcher Cormac Herley wrote of people who responded to scam emails purporting to be from Nigerian royalty. Unsolicited contact and a desire to move communications to WhatsApp should also raise alarm bells. According to Griffith University cybercrime and criminology expert Andrew Childs, scammers have taken to legitimate employment marketplaces such as Seek and Indeed to post fraudulent job advertisements. The advertisements do not contain much information about the company, or the tasks related to the role. Often, victims are solicited directly through messaging platforms such as WhatsApp or investment scam groups on Telegram. The job A couple of days after the initial messages, a man calling himself Ellis contacted Sam on WhatsApp, claiming Patricia had passed on his contact details to discuss job opportunities with what he said was a media company. Sam questioned the application process several times but instead of providing a clear answer, Ellis continued to share more information about the role. He said no relevant experience was needed and jumped straight into explaining the tasks Sam would have as a "brand publiciser". The role promised a minimum weekly wage of $900, paid daily, with the potential of an increase. Red flag: Unrealistically high wages for easy work Dr Levon Blue, a University of Queensland lecturer specialising in financial literacy and cryptocurrency, expressed concern about the wages offered. "The amount seems to be pretty high for a job that doesn't necessarily require a lot of expertise or experience," she said. The scam also promised daily payment, which was uncommon in Australia. A 'paid' trial Initially, Sam was taken aback that Ellis did not ask for any personal information, given that he did not meet the age requirement mentioned in the initial messages from Patricia. But when Ellis offered to give a demonstration of the workflow using the company's work platform, he agreed to give it a shot. Sam was told he would be paid in exchange for 45 minutes of his time and was instructed to verify the legitimacy of the company's website with a Google search. He was actually being subjected to digital sleight of hand. Sam: Show me how it works and I will see if I am interested in signing up Where is your company based? Ellis: Okay now you can open a browser and search for Codify Media Hub Then you'll need to register your own work account with my referral code (8453E9). Remember to keep each password in case you forget it. Red flag: Phoney website Codify Media is a legitimate company based in the UK. It carries a scam warning on its home page, saying its brand has been duplicated by scammers, after Sam contacted them. The company told the ABC it was working to report the scam to appropriate authorities. The scammers appeared to have tricked Sam when encouraging him to verify their website. When Ellis instructed Sam to search for the company, he did so by telling him to Google a specific phrase: "Codify Media Hub". However, the real Codify Media said it had never used the term "Codify Media Hub" in its work, raising the possibility Ellis fed the phrase to Sam knowing a Google search for that particular term would return a similar website owned by the scammers, rather than the real thing. Codify Media said it had since reported a fraudulent domain which was using the term, and searches for "Codify Media Hub" now directed to the scam warning on the real company's website. Both Dr Blue and Dr Childs urged people to take their time to assess whether a company might be a scam by carefully checking out their website. When looking up a company on search engines, Dr Blue advised typing in the name of the company along with the words "scam" and "fraud" in the search bar. "You can also try to look for the company on LinkedIn or other places for reviews," Dr Blue said. "You can ask AI what [it thinks] about what's being offered." Scamwatch is also a good source to stay across the latest operating scams. "You can learn more about the fake investment websites that are designed to look like you're investing through a particular crypto exchange platform or company," Dr Blue said. Dr Childs suggested paying attention to the website and trying to answer these questions. "Does the company have their own domain, or are they using a Gmail account and pretending to be affiliated with an actual company? "Does the website have spelling mistakes? Is there a physical address?" How the job worked In his trial with Ellis, Sam was told his work would involve uploading content to social media on behalf of brands he understood to be clients of his employer. In reality, the brands had nothing to do with the scam. Ellis acted as Sam's mentor, guiding him through the registration process and workflows in the trial account. The work structure Ellis outlined at first seemed simple, but became increasingly convoluted. Ellis described a system where, on top of Sam's usual duties, he would have to address "interbrand" requests, which required urgent prioritisation and yielded higher rewards. As time went on, he was also introduced to "special events", which would offer additional bonuses. The job increasingly began to resemble a game. Red flag: 'Gamification' of tasks Sam didn't know it yet, but he was in the snare of a task-based scam. The gamified aspect of the job, where mundane tasks are rewarded, is an important part of the trust-building, Dr Childs said. "The victim will be presented with a high-value task that can increase their earnings, but in order to achieve the payouts from those high-value tasks, they need to do things like unlock the next level or recharge their accounts by paying their own money into the platform," he said. Dr Blue said the complicated stages and the exclusivity of bonus giveaways that Ellis described to Sam seemed "deceptive". "There were some bonus giveaways that appeared to be there just for doing your own work," she said. "If it's an employment contract or arrangement, you wouldn't be eligible, you would receive that." According to a National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC) spokesperson, characteristics of task-based scams include: Advertising on social media, with victims also potentially receiving contact on messaging apps. Scammers may also impersonate well-known recruitment companies. Advertising on social media, with victims also potentially receiving contact on messaging apps. Scammers may also impersonate well-known recruitment companies. Offering work-from-home opportunities with flexible hours and no experience required. Offering work-from-home opportunities with flexible hours and no experience required. Scammers communicate with encrypted messaging platforms, such as WhatsApp, iMessage, and Telegram. Scammers communicate with encrypted messaging platforms, such as WhatsApp, iMessage, and Telegram. Victims are instructed to do simple repetitive tasks, such as liking videos or rating product images. Victims are instructed to do simple repetitive tasks, such as liking videos or rating product images. Victims believe they are working for well-known businesses, such as Amazon or AirBnB. Victims believe they are working for well-known businesses, such as Amazon or AirBnB. Scammers demand increasing amounts of the victims' money to be paid to "unlock" commissions. Scammers demand increasing amounts of the victims' money to be paid to "unlock" commissions. Payment is usually made using cryptocurrency. Signs of trouble Within minutes of starting his trial, Sam was delivered an error message warning of an "insufficient balance", preventing him from reaching his daily upload goal. A screenshot Sam took of error messages preventing him from performing tasks. ( Supplied: Sam ) Sam raised this with Ellis, who told him to confer with a "customer service portal" which could resolve the issue before he could continue his work. At the end of the shift, Ellis calculated the total earnings for the day and asked if Sam had a cryptocurrency wallet to receive his salary. Sam didn't have one, so Ellis helped him create an account on Coinbase, a cryptocurrency trading platform. Red flag: Pay offered in cryptocurrency Dr Childs said scammers used trial tasks, like the one Sam was subjected to, to assess whether recruits were comfortable using cryptocurrency exchanges, which became a vehicle for stealing victims' money. Dr Blue warned payment via cryptocurrency would also attract additional tax. "For tax purposes, when you sell cryptocurrency, you're subject to capital gains taxes," Dr Blue said. How much you would need to pay on the cryptocurrency amount depends on how long you have owned the amount for and fluctuations in its value. Falling in deep Sam began completing regular duties for the scammers, as Ellis ingratiated himself as Sam's mentor and friend. Ellis: Any plans for today? Sam: Not much, just spending time with the family over the holidays Ellis: Perfect, there's nothing like spending quality time with your family over the Holidays Sam: I definitely agree Ellis: I plan to take my kids to the mall to buy some Christmas gifts … When I was young I was just like you, finding ways to make money while completing my studies. I've been a waitress [sic.], a delivery boy, and assistant Between these conversations, Ellis would make subtle suggestions for Sam to consider investing more to be eligible for a Christmas event which would reap higher bonuses and rewards. As he worked, Sam's account balance increased, but when he tried to withdraw the money he believed he had earned, roadblocks were laid in front of him. He would be asked to complete additional tasks to unlock more stages and was required to retain money in a work account. Even when he could finally make a withdrawal, Sam was told he needed to retain $100 in his work account for 14 days. The giveaway question Soon after, Ellis floated a question both experts call a major warning. Ellis: Did you know that this job requires working with your own money? Ellis explained that a deposit in the form of a cryptocurrency known as USDT was required from employees dealing with the "interbrands" he had previously introduced. Ellis: If you get interbrand on your work account, then you'll need to use your money to buy some USDT to complete it Sam, already in deep with the scam, believed that his deposits would be returned to him at the end of the day. A drop in the bucket The money Sam had begun contributing to the scammers' accounts represented a tiny amount of Australian losses to scams. 2023 saw the highest losses in job scams at $24.4 million, with more than 5,000 reports lodged across employment and pyramid scams. According to an NASC spokesperson, the centre's work in combating financial losses from job scams contributed to a decline in financial losses in 2024. Dr Blue said millennials were showing strong interest in cryptocurrency-related ventures, but a lack of knowledge was harmful. "Sometimes that little bit you know can lead you to do things that expose you to more risk," she said. Dr Blue warned against buying into stigma around the type of people who fell for scams. "In the past, there's this narrative that it's people who don't necessarily have high education levels or might have English as a second language," she said. But her research showed how far that notion sat from the truth. "All sorts of people were vulnerable in different ways," she said. Pressured into paying up Sam resisted putting more money into his account, until he reached a point where an apparent lack of funds inhibited his ability to complete tasks. Eventually he caved, believing he would lose access to the money he had earned if he failed to make a deposit. As he fell deeper into the scam, Ellis further manipulated Sam, priming him for if banks came calling. Ellis: I forgot to tell you. Banks are sensitive to the word crypto. If you get a call from the bank, tell them you have investments of your own as an easy pass. If you tell them about the job, you would be subjected to a review and they would freeze your bank account Sam continued in the cycle until a final "interbrand" popped up on his screen. This one requested a deposit of $18,000 for him to continue his work. Sam was stuck, having met the daily withdrawal limit on his own bank account. If he couldn't make a deposit, he would lose access to the wages he believed he had earned, along with the thousands of dollars of his own money he had deposited. His requests for help were met by Ellis with dubious advice about moving his money across different currencies and crypto wallets. Sam's alarm bells started ringing for the first time. He finally started to see his job for what it was: a scam. Ellis: What is your definition of a scam? The internet describes a scam as not getting money, not making any money, and you do make money at this job right? Sam: The only solution is to get the police involved here … If I don't get my deposited money back I don't want profits or any bonuses I want the deposits I made back Ellis: … So do you think police can help you get your money back? Sam: You'll regret it when the police come after you Ellis: Please watch your words mate, now it's you don't have enough money to finish the job so it's a scam? Over the next few days, Ellis continued to message Sam, trying to exploit him further. But Sam had wised up. Ellis: Please tell me if you need my help of $1,500 USD hey mate How ya going How is it going mate? Red flag: Falling for the 'sunk cost fallacy' Dr Childs explained the psychology behind Sam's decision to keep going when asked to deposit money so he could keep working. "People can fall deeper into the trap the longer they stay in it," he said. And the same applies to victims who struggle to walk away because they believe they have invested so much. "If I just pay this extra little bit, then I'll unlock the next level, and that's when I can actually get paid out in crypto for all these tasks," Dr Childs explained. In some cases, victims may not even get a single cent. "In other cases … scammers could send dodgy screenshots for payment then weeks pass, and no payment ever actually comes through," Dr Childs said. "Cryptocurrency as a whole isn't a scam, like for a lot of people, it's part of quite a diverse investment portfolio, and there's a legitimate consumer demand." He said cryptocurrency scams happen because "people jump to the key features that scammers love about the anonymity of the payments". Dr Blue believed scammers were incorporating cryptocurrency because they knew they could exploit people, since not everyone was across how it worked. On a larger scale, Dr Childs said scammers used cryptocurrency to get people to participate in money laundering. Calls for education and more support for victims Months have passed since Sam's encounter with a job scam, and he's still chasing his money. He's made a report to police and his bank, but may never recover the thousands of dollars he lost to the scam. "I've heard of cryptocurrency before, but I wasn't very educated about it, so that's how I fell into the trap," he said. "I hope my story spreads awareness and more insight for others who may have maybe fallen into the scam as well, but then they're afraid to speak up." Dr Blue said cryptocurrency education needed to be more widespread in schools and community organisations. She surveyed 745 Australians who owned crypto as part of her research and found many were getting their knowledge from social media platforms including TikTok. "You've got a mix between individuals who might be sharing good information around how it all works, with people who are trying to scam you and get you excited about whatever schemes they have going," she said. On the other hand, Dr Childs said he was advocating for better cybersecurity protection. "There needs to be some sort of balance between personal responsibility about financial security and also implementing protections about the things that enable these scams in the first place," he said. "What is it specifically about WhatsApp that makes them so appealing to scammers? "Are there any particular things we can change about digital environments to actually help people?" Dr Childs said he believed it started with ironing out conflicting views about how to treat cryptocurrency. Dr Andrew Childs wants to see better policies to help protect scam victims. ( Supplied: Andrew Childs ) "It's because of some of those grey areas in the policy space that people can't get refunded when they get scammed for things," he said. Dr Blue said cryptocurrency education needed to be more widespread in schools and community organisations. She surveyed 745 Australians who owned cryptocurrency as part of her research and found many were getting their knowledge from social media platforms, including TikTok. "You've got a mix between individuals who might be sharing good information around how it all works, with people who are trying to scam you and get you excited about whatever schemes they have going," she said. On the other hand, Dr Childs said he was advocating for better cybersecurity protection. "There needs to be some sort of balance between personal responsibility about financial security and also implementing protections about the things that enable these scams in the first place," he said. "What is it specifically about WhatsApp that makes them so appealing to scammers? "Are there any particular things we can change about digital environments to actually help people?" Dr Childs said he believed it started with ironing out conflicting views about how to treat cryptocurrency. "It's because of some of those grey areas in the policy space that people can't get refunded when they get scammed for things," he said. *Names have been changed Credits Words: Widia Jalal Illustrations: Widia Jalal Editor: Jordan Hayne
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
Tech roundup: Nothing's new phone and headphones, Acer Swift 16 AI
July has been an eventful month in the tech world as a major new player arrives on the smartphone scene, but it's their new headphones that have people talking. UK-based tech start-up Nothing is trying to break the duopoly of Samsung and Apple — now claiming 0.2 per cent of the global market. Its first flagship phone, the Phone (3), has landed in Australia. Here's what I think after using it for a couple of weeks. Nothing Phone (3) Nothing's CEO Carl Pei has long rallied against the 'boring' new releases each year from the tech giants and has sought to do something unique. The Phone (3) is certainly visually striking. On the rear it has a Glyph Matrix display — like a tiny LED display — which opens up a whole world of possibilities. There are a handful of Glyph 'Toys,' as Nothing calls them, like the Spin the Bottle game, rock, paper, scissors, and the Magic 8 Ball, which was created via Nothing's community — where phone users can suggest and create new features for the Glyph interface in the future. It may sound gimmicky, but I find myself using it a lot. It actually stops you looking at your phone all the time, as you can just tap a little button on the back and you can bring up the time, your battery life and stopwatch easily, without having to burn your eyes out on the screen. Another feature called Essential Space which is an AI-powered hub for notes, ideas, and inspirations. Nothing describes it as being like a 'second brain' — as the phone uses AI to gather and organise this information into one space for you and to set reminders. Phone 3 also has something called Essential Search that allows users to quickly find contacts, content, and information, as well as get real-time answers. Everything else on the phone is solid. It has a strong battery that lasts me two days without charging and a powerful camera, with a really cool macro setting. There's only one downside. Nothing's previous phones have retailed at around $600 — which made them really attractive compared to the major brands. This phone however retails between $1,509 –$1,743 — which puts it on par with new iPhones and Galaxies. Verdict: I really like this phone. It's powerful and stylish in a way that's practical rather than flashy for the sake of it. I only wish it was a little bit on the cheaper side. If you're on a budget and like the sound of Nothing, you can pick up the previous Phone (3a) for around $600. Phone (3) is available now. It retails between $1,509 –$1,743 and is available from JB Hi-fi. Nothing Headphone (1) It's hard to stand out in the headphone world, but Nothing's Headphone (1) — released alongside the Phone 3 — manages to do it. Its stripped back design has the tech world talking. Its exposed metal and plastic aesthetic looks like something from the 1980s and it has something missing from most modern headphones, buttons. There's a roller which you can use to scroll the volume up and down. There's a little paddle to skip a song or go back which you can hold down to rewind or fast-forward old school style. Speaking of old school, it comes with a jack input and cable so you connect it to anything, and a hard case to carry it around in. Another major feature is something Nothing calls 'The Button.' It's a customisable button that works in conjunction with Nothing's X smartphone app. It can activate 'Channel Hop' which is a quick switch feature that can cycle between recent audio apps and favourite functions without having to look at your screen. You can also use the button jump between music, podcasts and voice notes when you're busy. Personally, I found the sound a bit flat using the headphones straight out of the box. But once you connect them, there are some really cool features to boost the bass or play with the EQ to get the right sound. There's a range of presets you can use, or if you're feeling nerdy you use an eight-track mixing board to get the perfect sound. Verdict: The Headphone (1) has a groundbreaking yet retro design that will have people talking and some nice features that feel fun and practical. I like that Nothing are trying to do something a bit different. The sound is decent for the price. You just might have to tinker with it a bit. Headphone (1) is available now. It retails at $549 and is available from JB Hi-fi. Acer Swift 16 AI Next out of the blocks we have a slim but powerful new laptop with an impressive battery life — the Acer Swift 16 AI that retails for around $2000. It's a nifty little thing with a lightweight and minimalistic aluminium chassis that makes it look way smarter than its mid-range price point would suggest. But the main two standout features are its battery life and vibrant OLED display that shows loads of contrast. I worked a full eight-hour day on this laptop without having to plug it in once. Despite putting it through its paces, its performance was seamless. The 16-inch screen is a great size for those busy work days and watching videos too. The display is also great, with the OLED making the colours literally pop out of the screen. One of the only drawbacks is I found the sound from the speakers to be pretty thin and tinny. I listened to some Black Sabbath (RIP Ozzy) and cracked it up pretty loud. There was not really a lot of bass in the mix, and the equaliser and presets included didn't really help. The 'AI' in the laptop's name doesn't really mean much either. The branding comes from its Core Ultra 256V processor, which offers fast memory and a better neural processing unit (NPU). However, when it comes to everyday use, the AI features aren't overly impressive. The laptop is part of Acer's Copilot+ PCs are a line of devices that incorporate AI-driven features that enhance user experience through smarter, more adaptive performance. The standout features on this computer are things like blur effects and picture adjustments in the Acer Purified View webcam app. It boasts something called the Acer LiveArt app that allows you to apply stylised filters, remove backgrounds, or add artistic effects like brushstrokes to photos. Verdict: This is a really good work laptop. I love the big and vibrant screen, the slim and metallic design and the long battery life. I didn't really care much for the AI features.
