A now-disbarred lawyer accused of helping a property developer borrow millions of dollars from a finance company cannot argue he was an innocent agent, says the Crown in its closing submissions.

What if the "power of positive thinking" is simply a numbing drumbeat that reinforces the positivity delusion, leading us to make blockheaded business and investment decisions?

The founder of the kohanga reo movement, Dame Iritana Tawhiwhirangi, has spoken of a "sense of shame" over allegations of misspending of public money.

The Government has rubbished claims it is more interested in cracking down on benefit fraudsters than tax dodgers - trumpeting a return of up to $8 for every dollar invested in chasing tax cheats.

The Serious Fraud Office has been "evaluating" a complaint involving the Waipareira Trust for two months - but won't say if it's a formal investigation.

Two former directors of a Wellington gas retail company have been found guilty of fraud charges over $17 million worth of offending.

A Queenstown bank worker has been charged over allegations of a long-running $400,000 fraud in which money was paid into fictitious accounts.

The man who once stole $1 million, then went on the run and called broadcaster Paul Holmes live on air threatening to kill himself, is disputing aspects of his latest fraud.

The man who once stole more than $1 million from an Auckland high school is disputing aspects of his latest fraud.

More than $1.1 million was paid to an Auckland couple under investigation for running an alleged cheating service for university assignments.

A "culture of obfuscation" prevailed at South Canterbury Finance before its $1.6b govt bailout, where directors talked about dealing with "smoke and mirrors" and "half truths".

A throwaway comment at a law conference last week by the boss of the Serious Fraud Office has delayed the start of the South Canterbury Finance fraud trial.

The trial of three former heads of South Canterbury Finance in what is alleged to be New Zealand's biggest ever fraud case begins in Timaru today.

The Serious Fraud Office trial of South Canterbury Finance's chief executive and two of the failed firm's directors is due to begin in Timaru on Wednesday.

A fraudster who stole $350,000 of ratepayer money faces court action to have a deportation order enforced so he can be sent back to South Africa.

A group charged by the SFO for allegedly operating a $1.6m ad invoice scam don't want the case transferred to the High Court.

An outbreak of card skimming has hit Auckland, with a number of ASB customers having their cards copied and accessed from Britain.

Steven Francis Younger has been jailed for two years and four months on 12 charges of defrauding three elderly people.

Repayments to investors in Aorangi Securities, one of the failed vehicles formerly run by Allan Hubbard, have climbed to 92 cents in the dollar.

A third of Kiwi businesses admit being victims of crime, however the real figure is probably much higher, a private investigator says.

A Labour party candidate in Auckland's first Super City elections will serve five months' community detention for his involvement in New Zealand's first electoral fraud.

A finance company's attempt to chase down a $300,000 loan taken out by a now-bankrupt and struck-off lawyer has been knocked back by a High Court judge

Auckland property developer Malcolm Mayer has been sent to jail for 6 years for a $47m mortgage fraud.

A New Zealand businessman lured to Europe in a $240 million email scam made a last minute complaint to police that led to some of the fraudsters being arrested.