Australian police have charged a Vietnamese-Australian mother and daughter accused of running an elaborate A$70 million scam targeting vulnerable members of the Vietnamese community.
The 53-year-old mother, who presented herself as a “fortune teller” and “feng shui master”, was arrested at her luxury Dover Heights home alongside her 25-year-old daughter.
Investigators allege the pair were central figures in a “highly sophisticated” fraud and money-laundering syndicate, with the mother persuading victims in financial distress to take out large loans by claiming she foresaw a “billionaire” arriving soon to rescue their fortunes. The mother, facing 39 charges including directing a criminal group and deception offences, was denied bail, while her daughter, charged with seven offences, was granted bail until January.
During the early-morning raid, police seized financial records, luxury goods, phones, gold, and thousands of dollars in casino chips.
Authorities have frozen A$15 million in assets linked to the women, adding to A$60 million already seized during a broader investigation into what detectives describe as one of Australia’s most complex financial crime syndicates. ]’
The operation, Strike Force Myddleton, initially focused on fraudulent loans for non-existent “ghost cars” but later expanded to uncover a vast network allegedly involving corrupt bank staff, stolen identities, and large-scale loan fraud worth up to A$250 million. More than a dozen people have already been charged, and police expect further arrests targeting lawyers, accountants and developers believed to have helped facilitate the syndicate’s activities.
Another classic case of diversity adding to the value of a nation…….
Deport!!