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The Latest Breaking News from Catriona Lowe

Product recalls rise as power banks surge in popularity

More than 34,000 portable chargers have been called back by the consumer watchdog in the last five years due to fears for people's safety.

Australia’s Consumer Watchdog Warns Of ‘Ghost Stores’ Scamming Online Shoppers

Australia’s Consumer Watchdog Warns Of ‘Ghost Stores’ Scamming Online Shoppers

Australia's consumer watchdog has warned of alleged "ghost stores" scamming shoppers with misleading ads and dodgy products.

Australian consumer watchdog issues public warning about ‘ghost stores’ and urges Meta and Shopify to crack down

Australian consumer watchdog issues public warning about ‘ghost stores’ and urges Meta and Shopify to crack down

ACCC says asking e-commerce platforms to act is more effective than traditional enforcement, given operators are mostly overseas and difficult to identify

The Guardian - AU

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Banana Boat & Hawaiian Tropic Sunscreens Sued By ACCC For Alleged Greenwashing

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has accused Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic of greenwashing in its products.

Optus agrees to $100m penalty for selling phones to customers who couldn’t afford them or were out of range

Telco’s chief executive says company ‘failed customers’ and conduct was inexcusable

The Guardian - AU

Optus says yes to record $100m fine for dodgy sales

Optus has agreed to a record fine for "unconscionable" sales to hundreds of consumers, including in remote Indigenous communities its network didn't cover.

Watchdog bites over dodgy ads during Black Friday sales

Michael Hill Jeweller, MyHouse and Hairhouse Warehouse Online have been hit with fines for allegedly making false claims over their Black Friday sales

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Scammers cheat Aussies out of millions in four months

Scammers cheat Aussies out of millions in four months

The consumer watchdog is calling on businesses to share data to combat financial scams, as the value of money lost to criminals soars.

Scams costing Aussies $2 billion despite losses falling

Scams costing Aussies $2 billion despite losses falling

The amount Australians lost to scams fell by 25 per cent in 2024 to $2 billion as widespread campaigns to reduce their financial burden continue.

Firms risk watchdog attack over dodgy ads during sales

Firms risk watchdog attack over dodgy ads during sales

Businesses are being warned against using misleading advertising ahead of a major sales period, as the consumer watchdog found a number of concerning practices.

Consumer watchdog urges crackdown on businesses using Centrepay to cause financial harm

Consumer watchdog urges crackdown on businesses using Centrepay to cause financial harm

It is alleged energy companies deducted money from welfare payments of people, including Indigenous Australians, who were no longer customers

The Guardian - AU

Bad actors seizing on Microsoft IT outage to scam public, Clare O’Neil warns

Bad actors seizing on Microsoft IT outage to scam public, Clare O’Neil warns

Home affairs minister says small businesses should be cautious of emails from people posing as CrowdStrike or Microsoft

The Guardian - AU

LG battery recall ramps up as 4400 homes remain at risk

LG battery recall ramps up as 4400 homes remain at risk

Faulty solar batteries that have caused house fires are still being used in thousands of Australian homes, forcing LG to intensify recall efforts.

Mazda fined $11.5m for misleading buyers on faulty cars

Mazda fined $11.5m for misleading buyers on faulty cars

One of Australia's most popular car brands has been fined $11.5 million for misleading nine customers about their rights to refunds or replacement cars.

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Solar battery faces compulsory recall after house fires

Australia's consumer watchdog is weighing up whether to issue a compulsory recall for an LG solar battery after 13 fires, including one that destroyed a house.

Not fit for purpose: Fitbit fined $11m for false claims

Australia's Federal Court has issued Fitbit with an $11 million penalty for making misleading claims to customers who complained about faulty devices.

Principles guard truth in 'eco-friendly' product claims

Shoppers wanting a more sustainable option have fresh protection against false environmental claims under principles for businesses released by the regulator.

Bad influence: social media stars and firms exposed

A sweep by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has found that many online influencers and businesses are misleading the public.

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The Guardian - AU

Jet trip followed guidelines, minister’s office says – as it happened

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Tesla fined more than $155,000 for button battery risks

Australia's most popular electric car brand has paid a record penalty for failing to meet button battery standards in some of its products.

ACCC calls for crackdown to stop lithium battery fires

A report has urged the federal government to improve the disposal of lithium-ion batteries to prevent the growing number of fires being caused by the product.

The Guardian - AU

‘I’ve just given up’: Matildas fans face scammers and online frustration in hunt for semi-final tickets

With seats at the biggest football match in Australian history hard to come by, scammers move in to exploit World Cup demand

The Guardian - AU

Urgent scam warning as Australia’s largest loyalty point programs, including Qantas, Telstra and Coles, targeted

Customers warned to be vigilant of messages stating their rewards are expiring as pressure builds for banks to offer compensation

Watchdog cracks down on dodgy sleep products for kids

Rockers and bassinets, toys with button batteries and toppling furniture are in the ACCC's sights as it cracks down on unsafe products for young children.

Retailers slapped with stiff fines over button batteries in Halloween novelties

Two Australian retailers have been fined over the supply of Halloween novelty products containing potentially lethal button batteries.

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