Inside ASIC

The podcast Inside ASIC this week puts scammers squarely in ASIC’s cross hairs. As artificial intelligence becomes more prolific in modern society, scammers are using the tool to produce highly convincing scams that leave even the experts second-guessing. The Commission’s taken down more than 10,000 investment scam websites and online advertisements and we are continuing to do a big piece of work to ensure banks are protecting consumers. In this episode of Inside ASIC we caught up with: Senior Manager of Enforcement, Sarah Bower Consumer advocate Steph Tonkin Senior lawyer, scams, Sam Riggall ⁠24-280MR ASIC sues HSBC Australia alleging failures to adequately protect customers from scams | ASIC⁠

What is our corporate regulator doing specifically to drive positive outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples? In this episode of Inside ASIC we’re going to be looking at some of the work being driven by the specialist Indigenous Outreach Program team within ASIC. It’s not work that gets a lot of attention in the national media - but it’s a critical piece of what the Commission does when serious financial harm is at stake. Danille Abbott - who’s a senior manager of the Indigenous Outreach Program. Jessica Naimo is a senior lawyer at ASIC Senior Financial counsellor and Boandik woman Bettina Cooper who helped build the First Nations debt helpline, called Mob Strong Debt Help. ⁠24-084MR ASIC orders end to Centrepay credit arrangements in Urban Rampage stores | ASIC⁠ Further information: ⁠ASIC’s Indigenous Outreach Program | ASIC⁠ Moneysmart: ⁠Indigenous - Moneysmart.gov.au⁠ The podcast and information contained is not intended to be financial advice and consumers should seek independent financial advice on any matters discussed.

We might just be witnessing a really fundamental change in Australia’s financial markets to the the rise of private markets. Through superannuation investments, many Australians have indirect exposure to private assets. Private markets operate differently than public markets and are inherently less transparent. In this episode of Inside ASIC we are all about understanding private versus public markets. Why it matters - and what’s the role of our corporate regulator when these deals are being done behind closed doors, with: Senior Executive Leader Market Conduct Andrew Templer Senior Executive Leader Strategic Projects Jane Eccleston Carole Comerton-Forde - Professor of Finance at Melbourne University

Hear more about ASIC's work on everything from beating increasingly sophisticated scams, to cracking down on greenwashing and holding super funds to account. In Season 2 of Inside ASIC we’re going to keep pulling back the curtain on the forensic work happening at the Commission. Over 6 episodes we’ll hear from key players inside ASIC on everything from protecting consumers from increasingly sophisticated scams… to cracking down on greenwashing - and holding super funds to account.

In this episode, we discuss the work of ASIC’s Markets Enforcement team. We are joined by ASIC Senior Executive Leader, Molly Choucair, to discuss recent Court action against AGM Markets and Antares Energy as well as ASIC’s Immunity Policy.

In this episode, we discuss the work of ASIC’s Corporations and Corporate Governance Enforcement team. We explore ASIC’s cases against former Kleenmaid director Mr Andrew Eric Young, former Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Healthzone Limited, Mr Peter David Roach and former liquidator David Leigh.

In this episode we discuss the findings and recommendations from ASIC’s thematic review of total and permanent disability (TPD) insurance in Australia including what ASIC expects insurers and superannuation trustees to do to address the poor consumer outcomes. We are joined by the Senior Executive Leader of ASIC's Insurers team, Emma Curtis, and the Senior Executive Leader of the Superannuation team, Jane Eccleston. For more information about the review, download ASIC Report 633 Holes in the safety net: a review of TPD insurance claims and read ASIC media release 19-281MR ASIC calls on insurers and trustees to take action to improve consumer outcomes from total and permanent disability insurance.

In this episode, we discuss ASIC's review of how car insurance claims are investigated where fraud is suspected. We are joined by the Senior Executive Leader of ASIC's Insurers team, Emma Curtis, and the Director of Casework at the Financial Rights Legal Centre, Alexandra Kelly. For more information about the review, download ASIC Report 621 – Roadblocks and roundabouts: A review of car insurance claim investigations and read ASIC media release 19-172MR – ASIC’s review finds car insurance investigations treat consumers unfairly.

18 August 2019 In this episode with ASIC Deputy Chair Daniel Crennan QC, we explore ASIC’s Enforcement Update (January to June 2019), ASIC’s Office of Enforcement and work to strengthen ASIC’s enforcement effectiveness by accelerating court-based enforcement matters.

In this episode with Peter Yates, Chairman of the Shared Value Project and Deputy Chairman of AIA Australia, ASIC’s Laura Higgins (Senior Executive Leader, Financial Capability) explores how the concept of shared value challenges companies to realign the interest of business and society by redefining their purpose so that generating economic value also produces value for society.

On 10 July 2019, ASIC’s case against James Gibbs came to a close and he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, with a non-parole period of seven years to serve. James Gibbs stole $4.88 million from his clients when he was acting as their financial adviser. His clients trusted him with their savings, with their money to be used for their retirements, and he devastatingly broke that trust by using that money for his own purposes. In this episode, we hear from Dallas, one of Mr Gibbs' victims who helped build ASIC's case, as well as ASIC investigator, Chris Rowe. Read ASIC media release's for more information: 19-179MR Former Adelaide financial adviser sentenced to 10 years imprisonment

A man sits outside an office building on his laptop. He keeps to himself and passers-by don’t really notice him. He has been outside this office building before, but he is not interested in going inside. Unknown to those around him, and the company operating inside the building, this man is inside their network, accessing confidential information and reading their emails. He’s after inside information. Steven Oakes was sentenced on 25 June 2019 in the County Court at Melbourne to a total effective sentence of three years imprisonment, and ordered that he be released after serving 18 months of the term of imprisonment, on his own recognisance to be of good behaviour for 18 months, after pleading guilty to a total of 11 charges for insider trading, unauthorised access to data with the intention to commit a serious offence (insider trading) and the alteration of electronic devices required by ASIC. In this episode, we hear from the investigators behind ASIC’s case - Peter Ridgley and Anthony Vardy. For more information about ASIC's case, read our media release (19-153MR) and download an infographic on our website.

In this episode we take you behind the scenes of a ponzi scheme, where unbelievably good returns are offered to investors, the scheme operator seems to be trustworthy – but it’s all smoke and mirrors. ASIC investigators Kaan Finney and David McArthur explain how ponzi schemes work, how operators attract investors, how ASIC investigates and shuts down these schemes and most importantly, how can you can avoid getting caught up in a scheme. A ponzi scheme is an investment scam where the promoter convinces people to invest in the scheme. Money is deposited by early investors and used to pay the first round of returns. However, new money invested is used to pay older returns to investors. People are led to believe there is an investment because of this when often there actually is no investment at all or the investment is not what they think it is. There are practical tips on how to avoid ponzi schemes and other types of investment scams on ASIC’s MoneySmart website or you can subscribe to our media releases to find out about the latest matters we are investigating at ASIC. And if you have feedback on this podcast, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Send us a tweet to @ASICmedia