Organised investment fraud cost Aussies $113m | ZDNet | Redgage |

http://redgage.com/blogs/allanbrooks03/organised-investment-fraud-cost-aussies-113m-zdnet.html

The Australian Crime Commission has estimated that 2600 Australians have lost more than $113 million due to investment fraud, in the last five years.

The findings come in a new report, published yesterday, titled Serious and Organised Investment Fraud in Australia (PDF). The report was put together by Taskforce Galilee, a consortium of 19 government departments, including the Crime Commission, the Attorney-General's Department, the Australian Tax Office, the Department of Human Services and the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

In addition to offers for shares in companies, the fraudsters offer green energy investments, new technology shares, lotteries and sweepstakes and foreign currency trading, among others.

The report found that most of the operations targeting Australians were based overseas. Many were based in Asia, but were not run in Asia. Those who cold-called victims were generally Australia, English, Scottish, Kiwi or South African.

The report stated that the fraudsters commonly used Voice-over-IP, email, phone, mobile phone or SMS to contact victims, and developed fake websites with log-ins that would displace fake balances, to keep the victim investing money in the scam.

The victims tended to be male, aged over 35 years, but generally over 50. Small business owners, self-funded retirees and those who are socially isolated were common. The report said that Australian victims were found to be well-educated and computer literate.

Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare said in a statement that people could be strung along for months before catching on.

"This is what happens. The criminal syndicate cold calls the investor, refers them to a flash website and sends them a brochure, promising strong investment returns. After taking their money, they string them along for months or even years, and then the money disappears," he said.

"People’s entire life savings are stolen by criminals, with the click of a mouse. This type of crime destroys wealth and destroys lives. It’s also very difficult to stop."

He said that the number of those who had fallen victim to investment fraud could be much higher than the 2600 estimate, because people tend not to report the crime.

In a press conference yesterday, Australian Crime Commission CEO John Lawler said telecommunications providers had a big role to play in helping to crack down on investment fraud.

"They become very, very important collaborators, particularly with the regulator. And we do have the telecommunications and the ISP associations engaged with this initiative as well," he said.

"There's a range of things they can do to help in a disruption context. And it becomes about alerting and warning, and when monies are to be sent, or whether we have companies that are identified as being involved in investment fraud that the actual victim is alerted to the fact that these are known to the authorities."

See more http://springhillcaregroup.net

Organised investment fraud cost Aussies $113m | RedGage | Reddit

http://www.reddit.com/r/business/comments/x6pay/organised_investment_fraud_cost_aussies_113m/

The Australian Crime Commission has estimated that 2600 Australians have lost more than $113 million due to investment fraud, in the last five years.

The findings come in a new report, published yesterday, titled Serious and Organised Investment Fraud in Australia (PDF). The report was put together by Taskforce Galilee, a consortium of 19 government departments, including the Crime Commission, the Attorney-General's Department, the Australian Tax Office, the Department of Human Services and the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

In addition to offers for shares in companies, the fraudsters offer green energy investments, new technology shares, lotteries and sweepstakes and foreign currency trading, among others.

The report found that most of the operations targeting Australians were based overseas. Many were based in Asia, but were not run in Asia. Those who cold-called victims were generally Australia, English, Scottish, Kiwi or South African.

The report stated that the fraudsters commonly used Voice-over-IP, email, phone, mobile phone or SMS to contact victims, and developed fake websites with log-ins that would displace fake balances, to keep the victim investing money in the scam.

The victims tended to be male, aged over 35 years, but generally over 50. Small business owners, self-funded retirees and those who are socially isolated were common. The report said that Australian victims were found to be well-educated and computer literate.

Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare said in a statement that people could be strung along for months before catching on.

"This is what happens. The criminal syndicate cold calls the investor, refers them to a flash website and sends them a brochure, promising strong investment returns. After taking their money, they string them along for months or even years, and then the money disappears," he said.

"People’s entire life savings are stolen by criminals, with the click of a mouse. This type of crime destroys wealth and destroys lives. It’s also very difficult to stop."

He said that the number of those who had fallen victim to investment fraud could be much higher than the 2600 estimate, because people tend not to report the crime.

In a press conference yesterday, Australian Crime Commission CEO John Lawler said telecommunications providers had a big role to play in helping to crack down on investment fraud.

"They become very, very important collaborators, particularly with the regulator. And we do have the telecommunications and the ISP associations engaged with this initiative as well," he said.

"There's a range of things they can do to help in a disruption context. And it becomes about alerting and warning, and when monies are to be sent, or whether we have companies that are identified as being involved in investment fraud that the actual victim is alerted to the fact that these are known to the authorities."

See more http://springhillcaregroup.net

Dozens of NK defectors booked for insurance fraud

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2012/07/117_114801.html

Dozens of North Korean defectors have been booked for committing insurance fraud here, in which they gained more than 1 billion won ($874,737), police said Tuesday.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said they applied for arrest warrants for two North Korean defectors, including a 28-year-old woman whose identity is being withheld, on suspicion of getting falsely hospitalized to win insurance money.

Twenty-five more North defectors were also booked for insurance fraud, the police said. 

The suspects held a large amount of insurance policies and got hospitalized for a variety of false diseases before winning a total of 1.04 billion won in compensation from 2007-10, according to the police. 

Police investigations found that while hospitalized they frequented saunas, restaurants and even night clubs. 

The insurance money was mostly spent on living expenses or sent through Chinese brokers to their families in the North, the police also noted. 

The police added that they have also booked a 71-year-old doctor and five other hospital employees for falsely admitting them, and two brokers who helped them transmit the money to the North. 

The doctor and his staff earned more than 100 million won from the national health insurance agency through the fraud. 

"The suspects found the doctor's hospital through word of mouth that he easily let people in for hospitalization," a police official said. "We will expand our investigation as there is intelligence on similar cases at more hospitals." 

More than a thousand defectors come into the South every year in search of political freedom and economic prosperity, but many fail to adjust to the new system. (Yonhap)

South Korea targets CHP expansion

http://www.cospp.com/articles/print/volume-11/issue-5/features/south-korea-targets-chp-expansion.html

CHP is firmly embedded in the Republic of Korea, mainly due to its role alongside the country's extensive district heating systems. The country now has ambitious plans for the expansion of both technologies and is working on district cooling technologies too, writes David Hayes following a recent visit.

Government plans call for the number of district heating users to increase by one third over the next four years as part of wider efforts to increase clean energy consumption at a time of rising energy costs, without slowing down economic growth.

The government's target will also help boost the use of renewable energy in South Korea, as all district heating companies building new CHP units are required to build renewable energy projects whether or not they are connected to those district heating projects.

South Korea's district heating market has expanded steadily during the past decade, due to the increase in the number of nuclear families living in high rise apartments, and government support for CHP through its planning policy and tax incentives. The population of 49 million consists of 14.4 million households, of which 1.87 million households, or 13% of the total, use district heating.

Government plans call for another 670,000 households to use district heating by 2013 to meet stricter environmental targets. The number of households using district heating will grow by 36%, with almost one in six households planned to use district heating by the end of the current CHP development phase.

The government's plan is to extend district heating to 2.54 million households, so it is a big increase in three years,' commented Chul Jong Yoo, senior manager of Korea District Heating Corporation's (KDHC) global business team, 'Most of the new users will live in the Seoul-Incheon area as the climate is colder there and the population density is high.'

Personal Review Blog on Springhill Vellum Bristol Gold Available at Amazon.com

I know that Bristol board is usually used for catalog and book covers, tickets, tags and printing brochures. But as a student of architecture and an avid designer, I use this kind of paper for my scale models (which, for those who are not familiar with the term, is a smaller physical version of something bigger, like a building or an automobile). I currently have several sets of two- and three-ply bristol papers that are used as walls of my scale models. One-ply is almost translucent so I rarely use them.



Bristol, as it is commonly referred to, is a kind of paperboard which is ideal for tons of things and comes in a variety of colors.



I love using Bristol paper because it's very versatile. I buy a whole bunch of them and stack them on my desk so I have something nice to use in various illustrations, technical drawings and even 2D art forms. Actually, illustration boards are also fine in such purposes but I find it impractical for you can only use one side of it. On the other hand, Bristol board have two working surfaces, so basically, you can use either or both sides.



And because I normally use charcoal and crayon as my primary media form, vellum finish is more ideal for me. It has a moderate surface texture which is really apt for friction-based medium. Works well with pens, too! (But if you are more focused on using ink, choose the plate finish Bristol paper instead -- it's glass-like texture is better suited for ink.)



The current brand I use is from Springhill Vellum Bristol. This Bristol paper works like a charm. And it's very accessible, even online. Just go to Amazon.com and search for Springhill Vellum Bristol Gold.



One pack contains 5 sheets and weighs a total of 1 pound so it's not that costly even if you order online. Their gold colored is consistent all throughout the papers and it is the exact hue I needed, too!



I also found out it worked nicely when used in promotional materials (when I once ran out of specialty paper for our theater presentation). I have tried several other brands and they all worked fine, but honestly, I think this is the best brand around.



About National envelope-amazon review on springhill envelope
Founded in 1952 by William Ungar, National Envelope has grown to become one of the largest envelope manufacturer in the world. The company was purchased by The Gores Group in September 2010. The philosophy of a company’s ownership is critical when you want to know how that company will perform as a supplier to your company. The Gores Group has an aggressive “hands on” policy when it comes to our affiliate companies. The Gores Group, LLC is a private equity firm with $2.9 billion of capital under management that is focused on acquiring controlling interests in mature and growing businesses which can benefit from the firm's operating experience and flexible capital base. The Gores Group, LLC, which was founded in 1987 by Alec E. Gores, has become a leading investor having demonstrated over time a reliable track record of creating substantial value in its portfolio companies alongside management. The bottom line is National Envelope is a well capitalized company with keen oversight and extensive network of business experts working to improve every functional area of their business.

National envelope-amazon review on springhill envelope

http://prsync.com/national-envelope-amazon-review-on-springhill-enve/

Founded in 1952 by William Ungar, National Envelope has grown to become one of the largest envelope manufacturer in the world. The company was purchased by The Gores Group in September 2010. The philosophy of a company’s ownership is critical when you want to know how that company will perform as a supplier to your company. The Gores Group has an aggressive “hands on” policy when it comes to our affiliate companies. The Gores Group, LLC is a private equity firm with $2.9 billion of capital under management that is focused on acquiring controlling interests in mature and growing businesses which can benefit from the firm's operating experience and flexible capital base. The Gores Group, LLC, which was founded in 1987 by Alec E. Gores, has become a leading investor having demonstrated over time a reliable track record of creating substantial value in its portfolio companies alongside management. The bottom line is National Envelope is a well capitalized company with keen oversight and extensive network of business experts working to improve every functional area of their business.

Website: nationalenvelope.com

Amazon.com Review On Springhill Gold A-2 Envelope

Personal review on amazon products for sale on springhill gold A-2 envelope.

Actually, I was not expecting much from products I purchase online because of past experiences where the shipped items were not at all what they are advertised to be. Like the other set of envelopes I ordered from another brand last month which arrived quickly but were pretty much useless to me -- every single one of them has a damage. That's when I became conscious of getting the highest quality in everything (because money is involved).

When I ordered from Amazon.com this Springhill gold A-2 envelope and it arrived the other day, I immediately inspected it for any signs of damage but I was pleased that there's none. What's more, it really looks very classy and fits my purpose of using it in sending out invitations for an important event. I am almost certain that I will convey a great impression to the receiver because of the quality of the envelope I use.
I expected it to do good in laser and inkjet printing and it didn't let me down. The ink does not smear and dries quite easily. I have even tried to do offset printing on it and it worked nicely!
The gold color looks great on the pearly white paper I used for the content.
Another good thing about this Springhill Gold envelope is that it is acid- and lignin-free. That means even if you print an image or a logo on it, it won't readily fade. (Plus, the whole thing is made by NE OPCO Inc DBA National from recycled with 30% post-consumer fiber -- a green factor which kinda makes you feel good when buying a product.)
Amazon.com has Springhill Gold A-2 Envelopes in stock pretty much everyday and they are perfect for business correspondence, announcements, invitations or even for personal use. If you need it for bulk use, each box contains 250 envelopes and the whole thing weighs 4 pounds.
Whether it is for business, marketing or personal use, this springhill envelope looks perfect for the part.