Latest news with #TimDay
West Australian
5 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
Resources Technology Showcase 2025 to inspire the next generation of future thinkers
WA's powerful resources sector is leading the pack with its cutting-edge technologies, inspiring the next generation of budding entrepreneurs and innovators. The latest tech from the State's biggest mining and energy companies, as well as the businesses that service them, will be on display at the Resources Technology Showcase. The event, held every two years, will run from Sunday to Tuesday at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre. Premier Roger Cook said WA's economy was the strongest in the nation because 'of our incredible resources industry'. 'Making sure we can continue to showcase the great innovation, the science that goes into that industry is so important for inspiring the next generation of scientists and miners that are all going to be part of this great industry,' he said. Over the three days, students will get hands-on experience with interactive tech and real-world industry exhibits, explore WA's minerals and materials, as well as compete in high-energy STEM challenges. 'It's not just about rocks and trucks in this industry, it's how you use the technology that's out there and use it to really optimise our operations,' BHP asset president of WA iron ore Tim Day said. Rio Tinto managing director of Pilbara Mines Matthew Holcz said hopefully the event helped inspire the next generation of people in the industry. 'We're really proud that we employ some of the brightest minds in innovation who use cutting technology to make our business safer, smarter and more sustainable,' he said. WesTrac chief executive Jarvas Croome said it was important to showcase the 'the fantastic jobs that maybe our children might want to aspire to do in the future'. Top resources sector executives who have attended RTS in previous years include Rio Tinto iron ore boss Simon Trott, President of BHP Americas Brandon Craig and Hancock Prospecting group operations chief executive Gerhard Veldsman. Student Euan Anderson, 10, said it was 'really amazing' to get a sneak peek of some of the new tech and equipment. RTS 2025 is open on August 17 from 1pm to 4pm, and again on August 18 to 19 from 9am to 4pm.
BBC News
17-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
'Fake bank app allowed scammers to shake my hand and steal from me'
A man who lost £1,000 worth of tools after being scammed by a fake banking app has said it makes you "lose faith in humanity".The apps mimic legitimate mobile banking platforms and allow fraudsters to fake bank transfers in person, show the seller a 'successful payment' message and then walk away, leaving sellers thousands of pounds out of Tim Day, lead in doorstep crime and scams for the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), described the apps as an "emerging threat." He added: "The in-person nature of this scam is unusual."Victim Anthony Rudd said: "I found it absolutely sickening that you could look someone in the eye, shake their hand, and then rob them." About 500 reports of crimes involving fake banking apps have been made to Action Fraud in the past three of these apps were available on the Google Play store in the past but were removed. Google said the "safety and security of users is our top priority".Now, BBC West Investigations have found versions of the apps available elsewhere online which can be downloaded directly to Android phones without the use of an official app store. Mechanic Mr Rudd was selling more than £1,000 worth of power tools on a social media platform when he received a message from a profile named Liam "Mr Wright" said he was interested in viewing them, Mr Rudd invited him to come to his workshop in Salisbury, Wiltshire. After the man arrived, he checked over the tools, offered a bank transfer and opened what appeared to be a banking app."He handed his phone over to me and I typed in my account details, clicked send, and it came up with a successful payment notification," Mr Rudd said."It looked absolutely genuine."While Mr Rudd was waiting for the money to appear in his bank account, he turned his back to pick up accessories to hand over as part of the scammer used this opportunity to leave with all the tools, but the money never arrived in Mr Rudd's bank account. "He came into my workplace and took my tools," Mr Rudd said."It angered me so much that someone could be so brazen, but it's also embarrassing that I allowed this to happen."Mr Rudd resigned from his job because he said the scam had "a huge impact" on his mental health."You lose faith in humanity, that someone could be that low," he Police told Mr Rudd it will not be taking any further action as it has been unable to identify the suspect since the incident on 11 February. It was a similar story for John Reddock, from was selling a gold bracelet in the hope he could use the money to take his two children on holiday to also used a social media platform to advertise the item, which he listed for £2,000."I was trying to do something nice for my kids and it backfired on me," said Mr men arrived at his house to view the bracelet and decided they were happy to go ahead with the purchase, offering a bank Reddock told them his bank account details and one of them typed it into what appeared to be a banking app on their then showed a payment successful notification. They left with the bracelet but Mr Reddock never received the money."It's given me nightmares and sleepless nights. I'm disgusted about what they've done to me," he said."It's made me really angry because I was trying to do something good for my kids, and they came to my property to steal from me."Mr Reddock reported the incident to the police but no further action was taken. BBC West Investigations found the fake banking apps - which we are not naming so as not to promote them - are available to download onto an android phone directly from the Day said: "So much of fraud is now happening online that it's easy to drop our guards when dealing with people in person."It gives us a false sense of security but fraud and scams are just as likely to happen in this space."Dr Day said it also shows how scams are becoming "more complex and sophisticated"."The amount of money which is available as a result of fraud is so huge and the relative levels of enforcement possible means it's a crime type which is attracting more and more professional criminals," he said that tech companies need to be "more engaged" in driving out fraud on online platforms. How to avoid the scam UK Finance represents more than 300 firms in the UK's banking and financial industry. A spokesperson said the fake banking app scam is "a concern" and they gave the following safety advice:Do not be pressured into accepting payment by bank transferNever hand over goods unless you are sure you have received the money and check your own bank account to see if the payment has arrivedCheck if the buyer has a newly-registered profile before you meet them as this may mean they are not who they say they areMore information about staying safe from scams can be found here. But this is of little comfort to Sebastian Liberek, who runs his business Seb's Repairs in sells and repairs phones, tablets and computers and has been targeted by fraudsters – who walked directly into his shop - using fake banking apps on three occasions in recent said he has lost hundreds of pounds to a bank transfer faked by a customer."It makes you feel angry and vulnerable," Mr Liberek said."When you've spent 15 years building a business and someone can chip at it and take pieces away without consequences."Mr Liberek has now installed extra security measures such as CCTV to protect his business from future attempts."The fact it's happened three times, it will probably happen a fourth time," he said."There's nowhere to go, you cannot find them, you can report them to police, but chances of anything being done about it are fairly slim."It's a situation without answer, or ending." If you want to contact us regarding this story, email westinvestigations@ BBC West on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Roofers took my savings for job I didn't ask for'
A 91-year-old man says he lost his life savings to rogue traders who came to repair a few loose tiles but ended up replacing the whole roof. Allan, from Hornsea, East Yorkshire, said he was visited by builders after Storm Darragh last December, believing they would fix some minor damage. Instead, he claims they put up scaffolding, replaced all of his tiles and gave him a bill for £31,680. Humberside Police is investigating. Allan said a passing window cleaner told him he had a loose slate in the days after Storm Darragh swept across East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. On Sunday 15 December, builders arrived and started putting up scaffolding. Allan said he cannot remember whether he asked them to come, or whether it was a cold call. "A ladder appeared, three people appeared and started stripping the roof, so I thought well they know what they are doing, and bit by bit all the slates disappeared," he said. "They were put on the back of a wagon, and then they drove away with them and came back and started putting new slabs on the roof, just like that." Allan said he was confused by the size of the job the roofers were doing, and that he had not asked for it. "It was so overwhelming," he explained. "Once it started there wasn't anything I could do about it." Allan claimed no price for the work was mentioned, but once it was finished he was presented with a bill for £31,680. "I think he knew how much money I had because I had a bank statement in there [the next room]," Allan said. "It was all the money I had." Allan said the roofers told him that if he paid them upfront, he would be able to claim the work on insurance, but when he contacted his insurers NatWest Home Insurance, they said they could not cover the cost for remedial work that they had not signed off in advance. A spokesperson for NatWest encouraged customers to contact them before agreeing for any repair work to be done, "so we can advise on their claim and validate any work that needs to be carried out". They added that they would be providing Allan with "ongoing additional support" after the scam. The BBC has seen the quote and invoice, both dated 18 December, which Allan paid in full by cheque. Dr Tim Day, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) lead officer for doorstep crime, scams and consumer vulnerability, said this type of scam represents 95% of his caseload - and often the mental toll on victims is far greater than the financial one. He said that research by the Home Office in 2003 suggested older victims of rogue trader crime were two-and-a-half times more likely to have died or gone into residential care in the two years following an incident than those who had not been victimised. "It is, unfortunately, robbing people of their independence and it's no exaggeration to say, quite literally, it's killing people," he said. He added that the market was "flooded" with rogue traders like the ones who targeted Allan. Fraud is the most common crime type in the UK, amounting to around 40% of all crime in England and Wales, according to the government. Dr Day said the government should bring in a compulsory national licensing scheme to make traders more accountable. "Currently, you've got a situation where anyone can set themselves up, you don't need any experience, or knowledge, or training, and they don't need to be legitimate in any way. "The trade that they represent, as is often the case at the moment, can purely be a means by which they perpetrate fraud." A spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade said there was "no clear evidence that a licensing scheme would improve standards". They said the department supports the TrustMark scheme for helping people to find competent traders, and that local authorities would have new powers from April to allow for tougher fines against businesses that rip off customers. Allan said he had accepted that he had lost his money, but when his family tried to call the roofers to try to get the scaffolding down, they did not respond. The scaffolding was left on his property for more than two months before another builder offered to take it away for him. Allan's close friend, Fred Bree, said the extent to which he had been taken advantage of "beggars belief". "Allan is a very proud and independent man, he doesn't seek help - but he's vulnerable," Mr Bree added. The local Trading Standards team at East Riding of Yorkshire Council said it saw similar scams "day in day out". The details for the firm on Allan's invoice appear to match up with a company that was dissolved in 2022, according to Companies House. The BBC has decided not to name the company for Allan's safety. Humberside Police said it was investigating a number of lines of inquiry. Det Insp Mark Hawley added: "Those who choose to defraud and carry out such unscrupulous crimes against elderly and vulnerable people are a disgrace to our society. "I would always encourage anyone who is suspicious that they, or someone they know, may be a victim of fraud to talk to someone about it. If it seems too good to be true, or you feel under pressure to make a quick decision, then that is a potential red flag that something isn't right." Details of support with fraud are available at BBC Action Line. Rogue trader warning after £9k roof tiles scam Council warning over cold-calling rogue roofers Rogue trader who 'bullied' lone woman sent to prison
BBC News
13-03-2025
- BBC News
Hornsea man, 91, lost life savings in rogue roofer scam
A 91-year-old man says he lost his life savings to rogue traders who came to repair a few loose tiles but ended up replacing the whole from Hornsea, East Yorkshire, said he was visited by builders after Storm Darragh last December, believing they would fix some minor he claims they put up scaffolding, replaced all of his tiles and gave him a bill for £31, Police is investigating. Allan said a passing window cleaner told him he had a loose slate in the days after Storm Darragh swept across East Yorkshire and Sunday 15 December, builders arrived and started putting up scaffolding. Allan said he cannot remember whether he asked them to come, or whether it was a cold call."A ladder appeared, three people appeared and started stripping the roof, so I thought well they know what they are doing, and bit by bit all the slates disappeared," he said."They were put on the back of a wagon, and then they drove away with them and came back and started putting new slabs on the roof, just like that."Allan said he was confused by the size of the job the roofers were doing, and that he had not asked for it."It was so overwhelming," he explained. "Once it started there wasn't anything I could do about it." Allan claimed no price for the work was mentioned, but once it was finished he was presented with a bill for £31,680."I think he knew how much money I had because I had a bank statement in there [the next room]," Allan said."It was all the money I had."Allan said the roofers told him that if he paid them upfront, he would be able to claim the work on insurance, but when he contacted his insurers NatWest Home Insurance, they said they could not cover the cost for remedial work that they had not signed off in advance.A spokesperson for NatWest encouraged customers to contact them before agreeing for any repair work to be done, "so we can advise on their claim and validate any work that needs to be carried out".They added that they would be providing Allan with "ongoing additional support" after the scam. 'It's killing people' The BBC has seen the quote and invoice, both dated 18 December, which Allan paid in full by Tim Day, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) lead officer for doorstep crime, scams and consumer vulnerability, said this type of scam represents 95% of his caseload - and often the mental toll on victims is far greater than the financial said that research by the Home Office in 2003 suggested older victims of rogue trader crime were two-and-a-half times more likely to have died or gone into residential care in the two years following an incident than those who had not been victimised."It is, unfortunately, robbing people of their independence and it's no exaggeration to say, quite literally, it's killing people," he added that the market was "flooded" with rogue traders like the ones who targeted is the most common crime type in the UK, amounting to around 40% of all crime in England and Wales, according to the Day said the government should bring in a compulsory national licensing scheme to make traders more accountable."Currently, you've got a situation where anyone can set themselves up, you don't need any experience, or knowledge, or training, and they don't need to be legitimate in any way."The trade that they represent, as is often the case at the moment, can purely be a means by which they perpetrate fraud." A spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade said there was "no clear evidence that a licensing scheme would improve standards".They said the department supports the TrustMark scheme for helping people to find competent traders, and that local authorities would have new powers from April to allow for tougher fines against businesses that rip off said he had accepted that he had lost his money, but when his family tried to call the roofers to try to get the scaffolding down, they did not respond. The scaffolding was left on his property for more than two months before another builder offered to take it away for close friend, Fred Bree, said the extent to which he had been taken advantage of "beggars belief"."Allan is a very proud and independent man, he doesn't seek help - but he's vulnerable," Mr Bree added. Seeing similar scams The local Trading Standards team at East Riding of Yorkshire Council said it saw similar scams "day in day out". The details for the firm on Allan's invoice appear to match up with a company that was dissolved in 2022, according to Companies BBC has decided not to name the company for Allan's Police said it was investigating a number of lines of Insp Mark Hawley added: "Those who choose to defraud and carry out such unscrupulous crimes against elderly and vulnerable people are a disgrace to our society."I would always encourage anyone who is suspicious that they, or someone they know, may be a victim of fraud to talk to someone about it. If it seems too good to be true, or you feel under pressure to make a quick decision, then that is a potential red flag that something isn't right."Details of support with fraud are available at BBC Action Line.
