In Brief

A couple near Banana were crushed by a beast and suffered suspected extensive upper body and possible internal injuries on Monday. Pic: RACQ CapRescue

Bendigo Bank warns of bank impersonation scams

Bendigo Bank is warning the community about bank impersonation scams, which saw more than $20 million reported lost from 14,603 reports in 2022, according to ScamWatch. These scams impersonate bank brands, with criminals often posing as cyber security or fraud specialists.

Increasingly sophisticated and convincing, bank impersonations can come via phone call, SMS, email or via a social media post, search engine result or advertisement.

The new wave of phishing scams are designed to trick the recipient into transferring money, or into providing personal information or banking details such as account numbers, passwords, and one-time codes.

Learn the signs of a bank impersonation scam:

There is a sense of urgency or threat to the message, like “your bank account has been accessed”, “your bank account has been locked” “a payment has been made from your account. If this was not you, please call (phone number)”.

The message looks different to other messages in the SMS thread, such as different wording or phrases used.

The message may contain a suspicious looking link. Never click on links you’re not sure of.

The SMS has a telephone number to call – always find your bank’s phone number independently.

A caller telling you to transfer money to a different account to ‘keep it safe’ or for ‘further investigation’.

Farming incident – Banana

As many made their way to work at 9am Monday 12 February, the RACQ CapRescue crew took to the skies to help a couple requiring vital care in a rural location south of Rockhampton.

The husband and wife, aged in their mid-60s experienced a traumatic start to their week when conducting their usual cattle yard work.

It is reported the couple were crushed by the beasts and suffered suspected extensive upper body and possible internal injuries.

The female patient was able to contact triple zero, despite her serious condition, to alert emergency services. Queensland Ambulance Service road personnel

attended the scene and transported her to Rockhampton Hospital.

Upon arrival of Rescue300, the onboard medical team worked intensively to stabilise the man, and he was flown to Rockhampton in a critical but stable condition.

Medical graduates arriving

The latest cohort of medical, nursing and midwifery graduates will soon kickstart their career on the frontline, bolstering Queensland’s health workforce.

Up to 869 medical intern positions are available across 20 Queensland facilities throughout 2024 – one of the largest intakes of junior doctors in Queensland’s history.

A total of 838 junior doctors are part of the current intake, which started in late January – one of the largest intakes of junior doctors in Queensland’s history.

The medical interns will rotate through a variety of units including emergency, cardiology, intensive care, and mental health, gaining a wealth of knowledge through hands-on clinical experience.

Some interns will also have the opportunity to rotate through rural facilities.

In addition, up to 2,522 nursing graduates are expected to commence employment in Queensland’s public hospitals this year, together with 264 midwifery graduates.