Latest news with #CommBank
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
The tragic life of teenage mum-of-two allegedly at the centre of suicide banker's under-age sex probe
New details have emerged of the 18-year-old mother of two accused of recruiting two underage girls for sex with a top banker who then took his own life after his arrest. Shauntelle Went is charged with procuring the two girls, aged 14 and 15, to visit CommBank boss Christopher James McCann, 50, for sex at his Brisbane hotel room. One of the girls was living in a residential care home supervised by the Department of Child Safety at the time, according to the Courier Mail. She and McCann were both charged with using electronic communication to procure a child under 16 for a sexual act, and faces a maximum of ten years in jail. Police allege McCann, from Curl Curl on Sydney 's northern beaches, agreed a price with Went for her to procure underage girls to meet him at the Sofitel on May 14. Went allegedly waited in the Sofitel's downstairs foyer when the girls went up to his room, but then McCann contacted the front desk asking the girls to leave. McCann, CommBank's Sydney-based head of health and social infrastructure, was freed on bail to live at a friend's home in Mudgeeraba on the Gold Coast. Two days later he was found dead at a beauty spot in Springbrook National Park in the Gold Coast hinterland. Shauntelle Went has had a traumatic life in the years leading up to her being charged for the child procurement case of two underage girls which saw a bank executive take his life Went was also released on bail, with Magistrate Louise Shepherd telling her: 'You are a vulnerable young 18-year-old woman who was working at the time as a sex worker from a traumatic background.' While it is unclear when she first became a sex worker, she has had several previous run-ins with police, run away from home and experienced family tragedy. Her social media reveals she has been sexually active from a young age, giving birth to her first child in 2021 when she was aged just 14, and her second child two years later. In April 2021, Went's younger brother, Aiden, died after disappearing at the Cedar Creek Falls on the Gold Coast. The 13-year-old went swimming at 5pm at the popular swimming hole, but did not resurface. Police drivers pulled his body from the water around 10pm. He and Went's mother, Sherry Carroll, said she did not know how she would recover from the loss. Went has since posted on social media about the death of her brother, and also admits she struggles with her looks and body image. She has also spoken online about smoking cannabis and drinking alcohol from a young age. Shauntelle with family (left) at the funeral for her brother who died aged 13 drowning at a Gold Coast swimming hole. Aiden Braumann disappeared under the water at Cedar Creek Falls in April 2021 In 2022, after the birth of her first child, a baby daughter, Went posted: 'I know that I've made bad decisions in the past. 'But from now on I'm going to be doing whatever I need to do to change to be a better person for myself my family my fiancé my daughter. 'I choose to change, so if any of you want to start drama you will be blocked not interested in the childish crap.' Last year she admitted in another post that she and her partner were on Centrelink after he lost his job, living with her mother, but otherwise homeless. She has now hit back at social media trolls attacking her personal appearance and her work on the OnlyFans adult content platform, and to refute the criminal charges against her. Went responded to the abuse on her TikTok page, boasting that she made $16,000 in two days on OnlyFans 'so I don't give a f*** which (sic) any of y'all have to say'. 'You think I give a f*** about who don't like me? B***h my family don't even like me,' she added. Went was ordered to live at Brassall near Ipswich under her bail conditions, and left court with her partner Tyronne McTackett, the father of her younger child. Went is due back in court on the child procurement charge on August 4.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Commonwealth Bank's fresh alert for millions over mass text message
A scam warning has been issued by the Commonwealth Bank following a mass text message 'campaign' by fraudsters. Aussies have already lost $119 million to scams this year, with phishing scams responsible for the biggest increase in losses. The latest text scam, which purports to be sent by the bank, claims your Award points are about to expire. It then urges you not to 'miss out' and requests you to click on a suspicious link to redeem your points. Commonwealth Bank said the fraudulent SMS message campaign may also try and trick you by asking you to call a phone number, reply to the message to activate a link, or share sensitive details, including your banking credentials. RELATED Aussie small business owner faces 'devastating' $80,000 hit after Meta suspends accounts Centrelink's 'balancing' move could provide cash boost or expose debt Common neighbour problem plaguing Aussie houses 'These messages might seem legitimate, and may even show up in the same thread as real messages from us, however, they are not from CommBank,' the major bank said. 'We will not ask you to redeem points via a link in an email or SMS message.' Commonwealth Bank said customers should only access their digital banking from the CommBank app or by navigating directly to the CBA website, never via a link in a text message. 'Be suspicious of any message that asks you for sensitive information, or to complete tasks like updating software, or giving remote access via email or text,' it said. Customers can contact the bank by visiting it's official losses increase to $119 million Australians lost about $119 million to scams in the first four months of 2025, according to Scamwatch data released by the National Anti-Scam Centre. Despite a 24 per cent drop in overall scam reports to 72,230, reported losses increased 28 per cent compared to the same time last year. The biggest increase came from phishing scams, which are where scammers impersonate entities such as government agencies or financial institutions like the major banks. This made up $13.7 million in financial losses, compared to $4.6 million in early 2024. 'Scams are affecting Australians of all ages, often beginning with an unprompted or unexpected contact via social media and other digital platforms,' ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said. The banking sector recently rolled out 'confirmation of payee', which is designed to combat scam losses by telling customers when a payment recipient's name does not match other account in to access your portfolio
Man of Many
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Man of Many
Feel-Good Friday: Glowing Loo Roll, Breathing Exercises, and Parties in Miami
By Dean Blake - News Published: 20 Jun 2025 Share Copy Link Readtime: 8 min Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here. If that headline didn't pull you in, I don't know what did, but welcome to this week's Feel Good Friday! Each week, we share a bunch of exciting and interesting stuff in the hopes that you can find something fun to do on your weekends or just to entertain you. Well, this week we've got a bit of both in store: with Who Gives a Crap's newest toilet paper innovation, One Playground's efforts to help everyone relax a bit, and PlayStation's efforts to help us all understand our continuously changing climate. So sit back, put your feet up, and dive into this week's Feel-Good Friday. CommBank Becomes Largest Football Supporter in Australian History | Image: CommBank The World Game just got a massive boost Down Under. CommBank and Football Australia have announced a ground-breaking investment in Australia's most played team sport, with the financial institution to become Football Australia's major sponsor at all levels for the next six years. The move makes CommBank the largest supporter of football in Australia's history, marking a renewed focus on team activity and the Green and Gold. In addition to the existing sponsorship of the CommBank Matildas, the 2024 IFCPF Women's World Cup Champions the ParaMatildas, and the Pararoos, CommBank will become the naming rights partner of the Socceroos, and the Emerging Matildas and Emerging Socceroos Championships. It comes after a stellar run of success for the CommBank Matildas, the country's premier female football team, which is helping to drive new levels of participation in women's sport. Since the beginning of the partnership in 2021, women's and girls' football participation has increased by 27 per cent, and CommBank Matildas game attendance is up more than 100 per cent, including a run of 17 sold-out matches in a row from 2023 to 2024. Through CommBank's Growing Football Fund, over 230 grassroots clubs and associations have received grants of up to $5000 to support initiatives and programs. According to CommBank CEO, Matt Comyn, the investment will place an emphasis on keeping young people engaged in the sport from grassroots to elite level. As he revealed, the partner's commitment is to support all Australians, regardless of age, gender, ability, or location, in participating in the most played team sport in the country. 'With the Socceroos facing the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026, and the CommBank Matildas preparing for the Australian-hosted AFC Women's Asia Cup, there has never been a more exciting time to be a fan of football in Australia,' Comyn said. 'When we partnered with Football Australia as naming rights sponsors of the CommBank Matildas, they were about to embark on a history-making international campaign, and what an incredible amount they've achieved for Australian football and women's sport since 2021. This six-year extension, combined with our previous four years, will result in a 10-year partnership. We hope this long-term commitment will help drive positive and lasting change for the game, players and communities.' Sullivans Cove Winter Archive | Image: Supplied Sullivans Cove Unlocks Museum Archive For the first time, Australian whisky icon Sullivans Cove is opening the doors to its archives. To mark the beginning of Dark Mofo and the start of the winter months, the Tasmanian distillery is unveiling a rare selection of archival bottlings that will be on display, with select bottlings available to purchase directly from the distillery's private collection. As one of the most awarded distilleries in the country, not to mention the world, Sullivans Cove's archive is something to behold. As part of the activation, guests will have the opportunity to taste or purchase a tightly curated selection of historical bottlings, including: HH0351 American Oak Single Cask (16YO) – World's Best Single Cask Single Malt, World Whiskies Awards 2018 – World's Best Single Cask Single Malt, World Whiskies Awards 2018 25th Anniversary 21YO – A vatting of four 'lost casks' from 1997, Australia's Best Single Malt 2020 – A vatting of four 'lost casks' from 1997, Australia's Best Single Malt 2020 Millennium Gold – A collector's gem, originally released to commemorate Y2K and the Sydney 2000 Olympics – A collector's gem, originally released to commemorate Y2K and the Sydney 2000 Olympics Double Cask DC0100 – A 2019 release marking Sullivans Cove's 25th anniversary and 100th Double Cask batch Coinciding with Tasmania's Dark Mofo period, the Sullivans Cove Winter Archive transforms the award-winning distillery's private tasting room into an intimate, once-in-a-lifetime retail encounter. For collectors, whisky aficionados, and festival-goers alike, this is an unprecedented chance to explore Sullivans Cove's rich history – and take a piece of it home. Align Breathwork's Chris Sulfa | Image: Supplied One Playground hosting 'Inhale | Exhale' Workshop for Mental Wellness It's Men's Mental Health Month, and while we're doing a bit of our own reporting to spread the word, we're not the only ones. Fitness experts One Playground are holding a guided three-hour breath-work workshop at its Surry Hills wellness centre, Urban Oasis, to offer a more supportive environment for anyone to learn self-reflection, healthy emotional release, and nervous system regulation. Set on the 28 June, 2025, between 10.30am and 1.30pm, the event doubles up as a fundraiser, with half of proceeds going directly to MensLine Australia: a 24/7 free professional counselling service that aims to help man across Australia deal with mental health concerns, suicidal thoughts, and relationship breakdowns. If you're wondering who will be leading the workshop, One Playground is partnering with Sydney-based Align Breathwork, and master breathwork facilitator and founder Chris Sulfa will be bringing his science-informed approach to lead the guided exercise. 'Social norms around masculinity can be incredibly harmful, especially when they discourage men from acknowledging when they're not okay or reaching out for help,' Sulfa said. 'This workshop is about breaking that cycle.' Image: Supplied Young Henry's 'Best Served Loud' Heads to the Miami of QLD If you're a fan of beer and live music, you're probably well aware of Sydney's iconic inner west brewer Young Henry's 'Best Served Loud' events, wherein the beer brand props up a local venue, brings together a crowd, and plops some amazing musicians in the middle to keep everyone having a good time. Well, now we know where the next one is headed. On 5 July, Queensland's Miami Marketta will play host to a curated line up of fantastic artists: Sydney's three-piece hip-hop heroes Shady Nasty, the Gold Coast's own indie outfit Girl and Girl, pub-pop production The Beefs, and Northern Rivers' The Cauliflowers. Also, as expected, Young Henry's drinks will be on special. If you're keen on a night out with some great local music, and cheap beer, Best Served Loud is one of the easiest ways to get there—and if you're a Miami local you have no excuse. First public showing of Climate Station at London Zoo | Image: Supplied PlayStation launches 'Climate Station' on PS5, PSVR As part of Sony's Road to Zero plan, as well as its work in the Playing for the Planet Alliance, PlayStation has launched a digital experience which aims to help younger generations understand the wealth of information on the impact of climate change on our world. The 'Climate Station' experience, which can be downloaded for free on PlayStation 5, and which supports the console's virtual reality headset, PSVR2, allows users to engage with the incredibly complex data of our changing climate, as well as follow the story of how things have shifted. It includes 120 years' worth of climate data sourced from many of the world's leading meteorological experts, such as NASA, NOAA, and the WCRP, an 'explainer library', featuring 90 minutes of engaging explanations to help users understand that data, as well as projections on where things are heading. 'Bringing climate awareness into the homes of millions through gaming will help build both knowledge and action to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste,' said Susan Gardner, director of the ecosystems division at the United Nations Environment Programme. 'The approach to adapt the science into a game format has been impressive.' It's not only for home use, though. Climate Station has actually been created so that it can also be used in research and education environments as well, so as to help the next generation of scientists and climate researchers understand the frankly overwhelming amount of data. Who Gives A Crap's 'Dream Range' | Image: Supplied Glow in the Dark Toilet Paper? Who gives a crap Our soft and cheeky friends at Who Gives a Crap have been working hard at transforming the classic toilet paper roll into something truly illuminating: it glows in the dark now. Well, the wrapping paper does. Working with Indonesian artist Martcellia Liunic, Who Gives a Crap have redesigned its loo paper rolls to provide a bit of sunshine to your night-time bathroom escapades. No more excuses for missing the bowl, boys. If that wasn't already cool enough, these limited edition rolls, called the 'Dream Edition', are charged by sunlight – so you'll want to set them up by a window for a bit after unpacking them to activate their true potential. And one final reason to pick them up, 50 per cent of the profits go to charities focused on providing clean water and toilets for everyone, which is definitely a mission we can get behind (get it? Behind? I'll see myself out).
News.com.au
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Meet the man who spends $6500 a year on Guzman y Gomez
Most people might grab a burrito from Guzman y Gomez once a month. But Tyler Carroll, 27, from Brisbane, is not most people. He's clocked up 395 GYG orders in the last financial year – an average of 1.4 times a day, and spent $6500 doing so. He says he loves the Mexican fast-food spot so much he'll sometimes have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. His GYG obsession went viral after he posted on his TikTok with a spreadsheet breaking down his yearly spending. 'I went to CommBank, I exported all my transactions with the name GYG or Guzman in them … and I've eaten there 395 times,' he explained in the clip that now has over half a million views. 'That is an average of more than one per day … and that is six and a half thousand dollars spent at Guzman.' After the video blew up, fans were begging to know his go-to order. 'For breakfast I'll typically get a bacon or chorizo burrito in a medium meal with an iced latte … for lunch I'll get a chicken burrito bowl, no beans, extra chicken, and then for dinner, I'll get a chicken burrito bowl, no beans, extra chicken,' he said. If you're wondering how he can afford his takeaway habit, Mr Carroll's day job is in sales and marketing for the equipment rental industry, and he's also recently started his own marketing agency on the side. But he wasn't always this financially well-off. When he was 17, his family lost their home, and he became homeless, couch surfing while juggling part-time jobs and a university degree. After entering the property market, he managed to turn his life around. He now owns four homes and told that his takeaway habit is an intentional choice that gives him a 'little joy every day' rather than a sign of laziness. He estimates that his GYG spending accounts for about five per cent of his gross salary. 'So I don't feel like I'm giving up my property dreams to buy food like a lot of my comments suggest,' he pointed out. So why the GYG obsession? Mr Carroll says it's one of the few fast foods he can eat often without feeling sluggish, and as a keen gym-goer, he loves that they have 'amazing macros and calories,' including high-protein options. 'I've been able to eat it every day and still stay fairly healthy,' he says. He also claims he doesn't get sick of eating the same thing every day. 'I have never not felt like GYG,' he laughs. While his TikTok followers might be surprised by how much GYG he eats, he says his friends and family are used to it. 'They all know I'm absolutely addicted to GYG – it's almost become a personality trait,' he jokes. But they all share one gripe – the fact he doesn't use the loyalty app. He even makes a point of not using it, as he says the product is so good he wants to pay full price to support the business. 'I don't want the loyalty coupons,' he says. 'If I could pay more for my little burrito bowl of joy I absolutely would.' When he finally added up his yearly spend, Mr Carroll says he was actually surprised it wasn't higher. 'I actually spent two months overseas this financial year, so those stats are only for 10 months!' he explains. 'If I was here for a full year, it would've been closer to twice a day and $8000!' After Mr Carroll became an overnight sensation, he caught the eye of GYG Founder and Co-CEO Steven Marks, who is now flying the Queenslander down to meet him today. 'It's incredible to see a superman like Tyler eating at GYG so often but we're not surprised! Our guests are coming multiple times per week for brekkie, lunch and dinner,' he told 'Tyler's love of GYG is exactly what we've been saying for years, GYG is clean, healthy, fast food that you can eat every single day.' However, Mr Marks encourages fans like Mr Carroll to use the loyalty program, which could see him get about $400 in GYG credits each year.
The Guardian
02-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Australia's big four banks not making it easy for customers to get bonus interest despite watchdog's calls
Australia's big banks have not implemented several recommendations designed to help customers qualify for bonus interest rates on savings products, more than 18 months after the regulatory advice was issued. Two in three customers of bonus accounts miss out on the headline interest rate and instead receive a far smaller base rate, an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission inquiry found in late 2023. Savers can be disqualified from earning the advertised rates when they do not make a deposit into their account each month or grow the balance. Some savings products also require customers to make no withdrawals. The consumer watchdog advised banks in 2023 to report the share of customers achieving their full rate; make clear whether alternative products offered better rates for those not meeting conditions; and alert customers to consider whether alternative products suit them better. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email No major bank has adopted those recommendations in full, according to Guardian Australia analysis. The regulator also recommended banks notify customers at risk of breaching requirements, which is a measure all of the major banks say they have implemented. Spokespeople for NAB, CommBank, Westpac and ANZ said they offered in-app alerts and email reminders to help savers get their full interest rate. Kristle Cortés, associate professor and co-founder of the University of New South Wales' RISE Finance Lab, said regulation may be required to ensure banks improve their practices. 'The recommendations really go to the heart of transparency and fairness in retail banking,' Cortés said. 'It's hard to save … so without clear or better feedback, most customers don't actually realise what rate they get, and they could potentially miss out.' The ACCC found in 2023 that those with smaller bank balances were more likely to miss out on bonus rates. Guardian Australia has previously detailed the experiences of an ING customer who missed out on their bonus rate. One couple with a NAB account said they felt 'sickened' after missing out on thousands of dollars of interest and claimed they did not receive an alert. The couple, who asked to remain anonymous, sold their home on the mid-north coast of New South Wales in April 2024 and deposited $350,000 of the proceeds in a new NAB Reward Saver account. Six months later, they realised they had unwittingly disqualified themselves from the full interest rate of 5% p.a. by withdrawing from the account each month. Had the couple made no withdrawals, the full rate would have handed them more than $8,000 over that period. Instead they received the base rate of 0.35% p.a., equating to less than $600. '[NAB] never emailed me since to say that 'you're losing money, you're losing interest, you're not meeting the conditions,'' the husband said. 'Obviously it's to their benefit – it saved them thousands.' Kylie Young, a NAB executive, said the bank did email customers to remind them if they missed the criteria and informed them on how to qualify for bonus rates when they opened the account. NAB was unable to comment on individual cases. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion 'While bonus interest is really important, it's also crucial the customer gets the right savings account that matches their financial needs and goals,' Young said. Banks have increasingly enticed savers towards bonus interest products by making rates offered on regular savings alternatives, with no conditions, less attractive. When savers fail to qualify for their bonus rate, the bank gets access to their customers' money by paying a very small base rate. The cheap money can then be used to finance other parts of their bank operations, including profitable mortgage books. Nearly 90% of Westpac's household deposits now sit in conditional accounts with high advertised rates, its half-yearly report showed. Up to 15% of balances in Westpac's Life Saver account receive only the base 0.4% interest rate. The major banks have slashed the base rates paid on conditional accounts in the last year. Westpac Life savers endured the biggest cuts, now entitled to just 0.4% p.a. interest when they had received 2% in early 2024. The other big banks offer even lower base interest rates, with NAB's base rate at just 0.1%. Representatives of Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, NAB and ANZ declined to detail what proportion of customers achieved bonus interest in response to questions. ANZ declined to share what proportion of account balances had bonus conditions. NAB said less than 20% of its conditional account balances missed out on their bonus interest while Westpac said less than 15% of bonus account balances missed out. Guardian Australian understands 14% of balances in CommBank's conditional account do not receive bonus interest. Spokespeople from the major banks said they aimed to inform customers and help them choose products that suited their individual circumstances.
