A woman claiming to be a fortune teller and feng shui master, has been charged for allegedly defrauding $70 million from a “vulnerable” Vietnamese community in Sydney.
Police allege Anya Phan is part of one of the largest financial crime syndicates in Australian history.
The 53-year-old was arrested alongside her 25-year-old daughter during a raid at an address in Dover Heights in Sydney’s eastern suburbs about 6am on Wednesday.
Anya Phan was arrested after police raided a home in Dover Heights. (Supplied)
Police seized financial documents, mobile phones, electronics, luxury handbags, more than $6,000 in casino chips and a 40-gram gold bar worth $10,000.
Detective Superintendent Gordon Arbinja from the Financial Crimes Squad said Ms Phan was trusted and influential within her community.
Police will allege Ms Phan’s role in the syndicate was to convince others to become a mule and take out 10 loans of $1.5 million.
Accused was allegedly a VIP casino high roller on disability pension
Superintendent Arbinja said police would allege Ms Phan became an Australian citizen after arriving in the country in 2001, but had not worked since that time and was receiving disability support payments.
He said the repayments on the Dover Heights address were $56,000 a month, and she was a VIP customer at a Sydney casino.
Police alleged Ms Phan exploited clients by persuading them to take out financial loans — keeping a share for herself — based on a prediction there was a “billionaire” in their future.
The fraud was allegedly orchestrated with assistance from a 25-year-old woman, who was allegedly convinced to purchase a $5.3 million property in Rose Bay as part of the alleged syndicate.
Police also seized a gold bar while executing a search warrant. (Supplied: NSW Police)
The NSW Crime Commission has frozen an additional $15 million worth of assets, bringing the total amount linked to the syndicate to $75 million.
The two women were taken to Surry Hills Police Station, where the 53-year-old was charged with 39 offences, including knowingly directing activities of a criminal group and 19 counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.
Ms Phan was refused bail to appear in Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday.
The 25-year-old was charged with offences including two counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception and participating in criminal group contributing criminal activity.
She was granted conditional bail to also appear in Downing Centre Local Court in January.
Police seized $6,600 in casino chips during the arrests. (Supplied: NSW Police)
Criminal syndicate targeted
NSW Police have made the arrests under Strike Force Myddleton, investigating a criminal syndicate targeting Sydney automotive financing companies.
The strike force initially uncovered the syndicate was allegedly using stolen personal information to apply for loans through various financial companies to purchase luxury “ghost cars” that did not exist.
Investigations then revealed its operations allegedly extended to large-scale personal, business and home loan fraud against multiple financial institutions.
As part of ongoing inquiries, detectives identified the two women who were allegedly involved with the syndicate.
Financial crime squad detectives arrested two women over their alleged involvement in the syndicate. (Supplied: NSW Police)
Seventeen people have previously been charged under Strike Force Myddleton and remain before the courts, with the NSW Crime Commission restraining $60 million in assets.
Superintendent Arbinja said the strike force had evolved since its inception.
“What began as an investigation into fraudulent car financing has expanded into uncovering one of the most sophisticated financial crime syndicates I have seen in my career,” Superintendent Arbinja said.
“Our detectives have worked tirelessly to uncover a network that has not only targeted financial institutions but also manipulated vulnerable individuals for personal gain.”
