A mother and daughter, one claiming to be a psychic and the other a feng shui master, have been arrested in Sydney, Australia, for allegedly defrauding “vulnerable” Vietnamese victims to the tune of US$46 million (equivalent to R$243 million).
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The 53-year-old mother was arrested on Wednesday in Dover Heights, one of the city’s most exclusive areas, and was refused bail, the BBC said. The 25-year-old is scheduled to be released until January.
According to New South Wales Police, the scheme was part of a highly sophisticated fraud and money laundering network. The mother allegedly persuaded the victims to take out loans with the promise that a “billionaire” would help them financially in the future, and kept some of the loan proceeds.
During the raid, investigators seized luxury bags, mobile phones, financial documents, casino chips worth A$6,600 (R23,500) and 40 grams of gold bars worth A$10,000 (R35,700).
Authorities also froze assets worth A$15 million (R53.5 million), on top of the A$60 million (R214 million) already seized in an investigation launched last year.
The Sydney Morning Herald said the pair were part of a group known as Sindicato da Covertura, led by an alleged psychic, and lived in a penthouse worth A$18 million (R64.2 million).
The group is accused of defrauding Australian banks of up to A$250 million (R892 million) with the help of corrupt officials who approved fake loans to buy non-existent properties and luxury cars.
Superintendent Gordon Albinja, head of the Financial Crimes Command, said: “What started as an investigation into fraudulent car loans has turned into one of the most sophisticated financial schemes I have ever seen.”
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