A mother and daughter, one claiming to be a psychic and the other a master of feng shui, have been arrested in Sydney, Australia, accused of carrying out frauds totaling US$46 million (equivalent to R$243 million) against “vulnerable” Vietnamese victims.
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According to the BBC, the 53-year-old mother was arrested on Wednesday in Dover Heights, one of the city’s most upscale neighborhoods, and was denied bail. The 25-year-old will be released until January.
According to NSW Police, the scheme was part of a highly sophisticated fraud and money laundering network. The mother allegedly convinced the victims to take out loans under the promise that the “billionaire” would help them financially in the future, while keeping a portion of the borrowed money.
During the operation, agents confiscated luxury bags, mobile phones, financial documents, casino chips worth A$6,600 (R$23,500) and 40-gram gold bars worth A$10,000 (R$35,700).
In addition, authorities froze assets worth A$15 million (R$53.5 million), on top of A$60 million (R$214 million) already seized in an investigation that began last year.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the couple were part of a group known as “Sindicato da Cobertura”, led by the alleged psychic, who lived in a penthouse worth A$18 million (R$64.2 million).
The group is accused of defrauding Australian banks of up to A$250 million (R$892 million) with the help of corrupt officials, who approved fake loans to buy non-existent properties and luxury cars.
Superintendent Gordon Arpinga, head of the Financial Crimes Division, said: “What started as an investigation into fraudulent car financing turned into one of the most sophisticated financial schemes I have ever seen.”
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