Story one of ten today, about five minutes for the lot

Telstra Tower rises against a blue sky with wispy clouds, its concrete shaft topped by stacked circular platforms covered in satellite dishes and a tall broadcasting spire, flanked

French crew used AI and Telstra Tower to plan less than $2M Canberra heist

Four French nationals used Instagram landmarks to identify Canberra, then ChatGPT to search for matching homes.

Why it mattersThe case shows how easily thieves can use social media and AI to plan targeted crimes, even from overseas.

AustraliaAustralians who post photos of valuable possessions on public social media accounts face targeted theft risk from international criminal groups.

✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 3 d ago

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Close-up of blue police vehicle lights on Australian patrol car

✓ 7NEWSPower & Policy

Victoria's car thefts and break-ins surge far past every other state

Victoria's home break-ins nearly doubled NSW and Queensland combined, while Melbourne topped all other capitals in car thefts.

Why it mattersRising property crime drives up insurance premiums for all Victorians and signals a public safety problem the police alone cannot fix.