The police in New South Wales, Australia, recently busted a rare large-scale fraud and money laundering syndicate in the area, arresting a Chinese-Australian mother and daughter who claimed to be "fortune tellers" and "feng shui masters." They allegedly targeted the Vietnamese community, with the defrauded amount reaching as high as 70 million AUD (189 million MYR). Police described them as the central figures in an "extremely sophisticated criminal network."
● Claiming to Predict the Future, Persuading Victims to Take Large Loans to Solve Financial Problems
According to the UK’s Daily Mail, the arrested individuals are 53-year-old Anya Phan and her 25-year-old daughter Thi Ta. On the 12th, the two were taken away by officers in Dover Heights, a high-end suburb of Sydney. Police stated that Phan posed as a fortune teller within the Vietnamese community and held a notable status in the area. When visitors came to consult her and revealed they were in financial difficulties, the mother and daughter would claim they could foresee the future, “prophesy” that the victim would soon be aided by powerful people and become wealthy, and then persuade the victim to take out large bank loans, from which the suspects would take a portion as commission.
Police have charged Phan with as many as 39 offenses, including leading a criminal group and dishonestly obtaining financial benefits through deception. She has been denied bail and will appear in court on Thursday; her daughter has been charged with 7 offenses, including participating in a criminal group and dealing with the proceeds of crime, and was granted bail until her next hearing in January next year.
● Gold Bars, Designer Bags Seized from Mansion; Police Freeze AU$15 Million in Assets
In an early morning operation, police raided the mother and daughter’s multimillion-dollar mansion, seizing a large number of financial documents, mobile phones, designer handbags, a 40-gram gold bar (worth about AU$10,000) (MYR27,100), and casino chips valued at AU$6,600 (MYR17,800).
Police also froze nearly AU$15 million (MYR40.62 million) in the pair’s assets and, combined with assets frozen in relation to the syndicate last year, the total amount involved reached AU$70 million. Police indicated that the syndicate allegedly defrauded loans totaling up to AU$250 million (MYR677 million) from several major Australian banks with the help of corrupt bank employees, using the funds to purchase multiple properties in Sydney.
Police stated that more than ten people have been arrested in connection with the case so far, with more arrests expected. Next, police will target lawyers, accountants, and real estate developers who provided "professional assistance" to the syndicate.