The number of criminal convictions under Australia’s Bankruptcy Act has risen by 58% in the past year.

The Australian quotes Inspector General Terry Gallagher as saying more than 100 people were convicted of 210 fraud offences, compared with 65 in 2003-04. This was despite the bankruptcy rate falling from 26 000 to 20 000 over the past seven years, he said. Gallagher attributed the increase in convictions to his decision to restructure Insolvency & Trustee Service Australia’s fraud unit to focus on enforcement. ‘I don't think that there are more (people committing crimes). We are just better at catching them,’ he said. Failing to disclose all assets, or a transfer of assets before bankruptcy, is a crime, and so is failing to tell banks and credit providers of bankruptcy when applying for a loan.
Full report in The Australian