logo
AUSTRAC cracks down on crypto ATMs due to scams

AUSTRAC cracks down on crypto ATMs due to scams

Sky News AU2 days ago

Sky News Business Reporter Edward Boyd says money laundering regulator AUSTRAC is cracking down on cryptocurrency ATM providers after Australians lost more than $3 million to crypto ATM scams in 2024.
These ATMs allow customers to use cash to buy cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.
AUSTRAC and the Australian Federal Police say older users are often the victims of investment scams, romance scams and extortion emails.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

$46 billion better off: The ‘super' shifts that can redefine retirement
$46 billion better off: The ‘super' shifts that can redefine retirement

AU Financial Review

time42 minutes ago

  • AU Financial Review

$46 billion better off: The ‘super' shifts that can redefine retirement

First, adopt age-based investment strategies. This is the simplest and most impactful place to start. Yet today, less than one-third of the MySuper accounts in Australia are invested in this way. Russell Investments' research shows that if all super funds had implemented suitable age-based investment strategies five years ago, Australians with MySuper accounts would be $46 billion better off — an average uplift of 6.6 per cent per person. Second, go beyond age to tailor investments to individuals' circumstances. Investment strategies should consider the amount of super saved, retirement timing, contribution rates and assets held outside super. Today, most Australians are still placed in default portfolios that overlook these inputs. Without more personalisation of their super, they risk falling into two traps come retirement: some may run out of money too early, while others may be overly cautious and miss out on the lifestyle they worked hard to afford. Third, use technology to make it easy for people to set retirement goals, track progress and adjust along the way. Planning for retirement shouldn't begin in the final few years of work. Just setting a goal and managing to it can enhance outcomes. This is an area where technology can be a powerful differentiator. Most Australians are familiar with technology that help track fitness, spending or habit formation; retirement planning should be no different. Russell Investments was one of the first in Australia to bring digital planning tools to superannuation, enabling fund members to assess how their projected retirement income aligns with their retirement goals. Data shows this approach is working. More than half of the members that set a retirement income goal are on track or ahead of their target — a 43 per cent increase since 2020. This goal-based feedback becomes a far more useful guidepost than an account balance, especially during periods of market volatility. It helps inform the actions to take (or avoid) to stay on track, including how to invest, how much to contribute, and when they might retire. For example, two people may be the same age and close to retirement but require very different strategies. One who is on track might benefit from reducing investment risk to protect their savings. Another who is tracking behind may need to increase contributions, take on more risk, or delay retirement to close the gap. Personalising super through age-appropriate investing, individualised strategies and goal-based guidance can help improve outcomes and close the retirement savings gap. It gives more Australians, not just those with access to a financial adviser, the ability to align their super with the life they want after work. If more super funds embrace these changes, Australia won't just maintain its position as a global leader in retirement savings, it will help define the future of retirement security.

Labor reluctant to make changes to super proposal
Labor reluctant to make changes to super proposal

West Australian

time2 hours ago

  • West Australian

Labor reluctant to make changes to super proposal

Treasurer Jim Chalmers is remaining firm on proposed superannuation changes, as Labor goes back to the drawing board to negotiate with the Greens. Under the proposal, the concessional tax rate would double to 30 per cent on the portion of super balances above $3 million. The policy aims to curb the number of high net-worth individuals using superannuation for tax deduction purposes rather than for their retirement. Dr Chalmers said the government didn't have the numbers in the Senate to pass the legislation and needed to engage with the crossbench. "Our intention and our preference would be to legislate what we announced," he told ABC radio on Thursday. "We've done years of consultation now. "In this case, with the Greens in the Senate to try and legislate the plan that we announced all of those years ago." With the median super balance for 60 to 64 year olds sitting at roughly $200,000 for men and $150,000 for women, the vast majority of Australians are unlikely to feel the impact of Labor's proposal. It is estimated to affect 0.5 per cent of Australian savers, or roughly 80,000 people according to the Australia Institute. The wealthiest 10 per cent are receiving 40 per cent of superannuation tax breaks, the treasurer says. The 42 self-managed super funds with more than $100 million in assets receive more than $140 million every year in tax breaks, according to reports. But the coalition has vowed to fight back against the policy, as they are opposed to any tax on unrealised gains. Shadow treasurer Ted O'Brien said he didn't believe it was a "fair call" and said younger Australians would be caught in the net over time. "Our belief as a coalition ... is that Australia should have lower tax, simpler tax, and fairer tax, and what Labor is putting on the table with its superannuation tax breaches all of those things," he told ABC's News Breakfast. "Every aspect of this is looking awful, and it certainly does not align with our values as a Liberal Party, or indeed, a Liberal National coalition." Critics say the policy's introduction of a tax on unrealised capital gains goes against the fundamentals of the tax system and would have unintended consequences, such as driving investment off-shore and threatening Australia's financial stability. Unrealised gains are 'paper profits' - increases in the value of assets such as properties or shares that haven't been cashed in. On Wednesday, Dr Chalmers said calculation of unrealised gains was not unique in the tax system, and that any losses can be carried forward against any gains. Tax on unrealised gains is already part of the Australian tax system and is, for example, paid under land tax regimes. The Greens support the legislation in principle but want the threshold lowered to $2 million and indexed in line with inflation. Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the ball was in the government's court. "We want a reform to the system that makes it stronger and fairer," she told Sky News on Thursday.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store