Saturday, 06 June 2026 16:15
VINNIES WARN AGAINST RISING LIVING COSTS
MORE than half of Australians (55%) are cutting spending on essentials such as food, medication and bills to afford housing, according to a new YouGov survey commissioned by the St Vincent de Paul Society. The research found 29% lack sufficient savings to cover an emergency expense, with 3.7 million Australians strongly disagreeing they have a financial buffer. Launching its Winter Appeal 2026, Vinnies warned rising living costs are pushing more households into financial hardship and homelessness, urging Australians to donate as demand for assistance with food, bills and essentials continues to grow.
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Saturday, 06 June 2026 16:13
FRAUDULENT TRANSFER OF MOBILE NUMBERS
THE Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has fined telecom provider SpinTel $59,400 after scammers exploited weaknesses in its systems to fraudulently transfer 10 mobile numbers, causing consumer losses exceeding $45,000. SpinTel must now undergo an independent security review and implement improvements. Another provider, Yomojo, received a formal warning for failing to publish required fraud-reporting information. The ACMA has issued six enforcement actions in the past year as part of a broader crackdown on mobile number porting fraud, urging telcos to strengthen security and protect consumers from scams and identity theft.
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Saturday, 06 June 2026 16:12
AI CHATBOT THAT REDUCES STIGMA
THE Alcohol and Drug Foundation is celebrating the success of its AI-powered chatbot, dib, which has been shortlisted in the Community Impact category of the Australian Financial Review AI Awards. Since launching a year ago, dib has conducted around 45,000 anonymous conversations, providing evidence-based information on alcohol and other drugs. Most users are aged 18–24, with alcohol the most common topic. Designed to reduce stigma and improve access to reliable support, dib uses trusted ADF content and safety safeguards. Winners of the awards will be announced in June.” Powered by AI, dib is a technological first in the Australian public health sector. Using dib is an anonymous, non-stigmatising way to find alcohol and other drug information in a familiar, chat-based format,” said the Alcohol and Drug Foundation’s CEO, Dr Erin Lalor AM.
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