Search

'Phishing' is a term that describes a way in which a person using the internet may be tricked into giving their personal identification information or banking and finance details to a criminal. Once this information has been obtained by a phisher, they may sell it to another person or use it to commit identity fraud. Internet users need to be aware that credit card details or log-in details used to access finances and services online are valuable and can be misused by others. Phishing is not limited to email-scams.

At the international level, there is no single, clear definition of 'labour trafficking'. Arguably, the expression can be used to describe those forms of trafficking in persons of which the exploitative purpose relates to a person's labour. There are, however, debates over the scope and meaning of these terms. This brief provides an introduction to key terms and notes some of the issues that remain less settled.

Foreword | Indigenous participation in sentencing procedures has been occurring informally in remote communities for some time. During the late 1990s, formalisation of this practice began in urban areas with the advent of Indigenous sentencing and Circle Courts. Formalisation has also occurred in remote areas. The aim has been to make court processes more culturally appropriate, to engender greater trust between Indigenous communities and judicial officers, and to permit a more informal and open exchange of information about defendants and their cases.

Abstract

Homicides which involve the use of fire are believed to be quite rare, although cases such as the Childers Backpacker Hostel fire in 2000 in which 15 people died, serve to focus attention on the crime. When associated with homicide, fire may be the weapon used to commit the homicide, or may be involved after the homicide. Fire that is used post-mortem may be intended to conceal the homicide, destroy evidence, dispose of the body or prevent identification of the victim.

Foreword | The manner in which terrorist organisations finance their activities became a policy focal point after the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. Non-profit organisations, and charities in particular, were identified as potentially significant contributors to terrorism financing. This premise was based on known links between charitable giving and prominent terrorist groups, and the vulnerabilities of the non-profit sector to misuse.

Foreword | Victim/survivors of human trafficking involving partner migration employ diverse help-seeking strategies, both formal and informal, to exit their exploitative situations.

Bushfire arson imposes significant environmental and economic costs on Australia, but arsonists are difficult to catch and even more difficult to convict (Muller 2008). Two studies in the United States (US) sought to determine if an increase in the level of law enforcement intensity - more police officers per head of population - would help to reduce bushfire arson. In the first study, the relationship between arson and levels of law enforcement was analysed over 12 years in 27 US states (Donoghue & Main 1985).

Foreword | Bushfire arson is an important issue in Australia, but studies analysing its prevalence and distribution are sparse and have focused on isolated areas or specific data collections.

The Criminology Research Act 1971 provides for a Criminology Research Advisory Council that advises the Director of the AIC on strategic research priorities for the AIC, communications and the effective dissemination of crime and criminal justice information and makes recommendations as to the grants to be made by the Director each year under the Criminology Research Grants program.

This project was funded by the Crime Prevention Branch of the Criminal Justice Division, Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department.

References

Download paper: Violent assaults on taxi drivers: incidence patterns and risk factors

Contents

• Acknowledgements
• Executive summary
• Introduction
• Method
• The 2014 consumer fraud survey results
• Loss of personal information or passwords as a result of fraudulent invitations
• Conclusion and policy implications
• References
• Appendix 1