Hi there. It's Thursday, October 6 and you're reading The Loop, a quick wrap-up of today's news.
Let's start here: Man charged over Optus SMS scam
A 19-year-old Sydney man has been charged by the Australian Federal Police for allegedly using information obtained during last month's Optus data breach to blackmail people.
Here's what we know:
- The AFP alleges the man threatened 93 Optus customers via text messages, saying he would use their details to commit financial crimes unless they paid $2,000
- None of the 93 Optus customers paid the money
- The 19-year-old was arrested at a Rockdale home in Sydney's south this morning, where officers seized a mobile phone they allege is linked to the text messages
- He's been charged with using a telecommunication network with intent to commit a serious offence, and dealing with identification information with intent to commit an offence
- It's the first arrest the AFP has made as part of Operation Guardian in relation to the data hack, but the AFP says there may be more arrests made in the future.
The arrest comes after the federal government announced plans to give the telco temporary powers to share affected data with banks that would let them closely monitor the accounts of people impacted by the breach.
We heard about Star Entertainment Group in Queensland
ICYMI earlier, Queensland's Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman found Star Entertainment Group is unsuitable to hold a casino licence in the state. Here are the main takeaways:
- The independent review by former Justice Robert Gotterson found the company actively encouraged high rollers to gamble in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast, even if they were banned in other states
- Ms Fentiman says Star failed to take its responsibilities around money laundering and gaming harm seriously
- Mr Gotterson also made 12 recommendations to improve the regulation and integrity of casinos in Queensland
- Star must now prove its suitability to hold a casino licence, and the entertainment group will be issued with a show cause notice by the Queensland government
- Star Entertainment will have 21 days to respond to the notice once it's issued.
It's unclear, though, what it means for the multi-billion dollar Queen's Wharf development in Brisbane, while Star Entertainment says it's considering Mr Gotterson's report.
News alerts you might have missed
- Sydney has experienced its wettest year on record after more than 2,199 mm of rain fell in the New South Wales capital since the start of 2022
- Brittany Higgins has told the ACT Supreme Court she "made a mistake" during her testimony and didn't have the dress she wore on the night she was allegedly raped in a plastic bag underneath her bed for six months
- South Korea says North Korea launched another ballistic missile towards its waters, after another missile flew over Japan earlier this week. The launch was North Korea's sixth round of weapons firings in less than a fortnight.
What Australia has been searching for online
- Alec Baldwin. He's reached a settlement with the family of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who Baldwin shot dead during filming last year.
- Hilary Swank. The actor announced she's pregnant, live on breakfast TV in the US — and that she and her husband, Philip Schneider, are expecting twins (cue the Million Dollar Babies comments).
One more thing
Remember the Super Mario Bros movie starring Chris Pratt as Mario and Anya Taylor Joy as Princess Peach?
Nintendo have dropped the movie's poster — and confirmed we'll get our first look at the trailer during Nintendo's panel at New York Comic-Con at 7:05am AEDT, tomorrow.
As for the movie itself? It'll hit cinemas in April 2023.
You're up to date
Don't worry though, we'll be back with more tomorrow.
ABC/wires
