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Investigation & Fraud News – Week ending 3 October 2025
Immigration detention facility inmates accused of racket to defraud Medicare – 26 September 2025
Three detainees, including the brother of a Comanchero biker, were charged with COVID-era Medicare fraud. The story highlights how detainees used mobile phones inside facilities to scam government systems.
Access to digital version of Herald sun require to read article
Update after regulator freezes $11.5bn in funds at La Trobe Financial, leaving Aussies in dark – 28 September 2025
ASIC intervened in three financial products from La Trobe Financial, freezing about $11.5 billion in investor funds due to concerns that investment products were misrepresented, especially risk levels (private credit loans being marketed as safer than they are). Some parts have since been unfrozen; others remain suspended.
Westpac Sued Over Alleged Role in $250M Fraud – 28 September 2025
Westpac is facing a lawsuit filed by the liquidators of collapsed investment companies who claim the bank ignored red flags while large sums moved through accounts linked to a scheme run by businessman Chris Marco. The case, lodged in the Supreme Court of NSW, accuses Westpac of failing to prevent investor losses and continuing to process questionable transactions after inquiries were made by financial regulators.
https://theaussiecorporate.com/blogs/pickandscrollnews/westpac-sued-over-alleged-role-in-250m-fraud
Chinese woman convicted after ‘world’s biggest’ bitcoin seizure – 30 September 2025
A Chinese national has been convicted following an international fraud investigation which resulted in what’s believed to be the single largest cryptocurrency seizure in the world. The Metropolitan Police says it recovered 61,000 bitcoin worth more than £5bn ($6.7bn) in current prices. Between 2014 and 2017 Qian led a large-scale scam in China which involved cheating more than 128,000 victims and storing the stolen funds in bitcoin assets
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy0415kk3rzo
ASIC to crack down on asset valuations after scathing super report – 30 September 2025
The corporate regulator has issued a scathing report card on the way the $4.3 trillion super industry and the country’s major auditing firms value unlisted assets, after it emerged that the nation’s second-largest super fund had written down a US investment worth almost half a billion dollars. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s first review of the sector’s financial reports and audits found super funds’ disclosure about non-listed assets was often inconsistent and unreliable, making it difficult for members to be confident about the value of their holdings.
Man’s savings wiped in $80m global investment scam – 30 September 2025
An IT director lost $120,000 through a scam involving cloned companies. Despite verifying through ASIC and Moneysmart, he was misled by a scheme where offshore entities and cloned advisers were used. He also lost another $60,000 in a linked scam. The fraud syndicate is allegedly global, with $80 million+ in losses worldwide, $25 million from Australians.
Police raid home of couple behind alleged $200m mining fraud – 1 October 2025
Tom and Kirsten Peever and associated entities are under investigation by the Australian Federal Police and ATO for allegedly claiming $200 million in R&D tax credits and GST refunds through Elution Metals and about 30 related companies. The case involves alleged misappropriation of funds which were supposedly spent on luxury items.
Access to digital version of The Australian required to read article
Alexander de St Amatus — Tax Fraud Scheme (Victoria / Queensland) – 2 October 2025
A 39-year-old man was sentenced for a tax fraud scheme. He falsely claimed $827,120 in business expenses on his 2016 tax return (as a sole trader) to obtain an improper refund of $18,771. Also avoided over $11,000 in tax debt. He pleaded guilty to obtaining a financial advantage by deception.
Digital access required to read article
Aussies Hit Again: ANZ Cops Record $240m Fine in Australia – 65,000 Impacted in Trust Breach – 1 October 2025
ANZ Bank will pay $240 million in fines after admitting to several big mistakes. The bank did many things wrong like sending wrong information about bond trading to the government. They also didn’t help customers who were having money problems and kept charging fees to accounts of people who had died.
https://supercarrides.com.au/anz-cops-record-240m-fine-in-australia-65000-impacted/
Victorian church under investigation after pastor’s son sexually assaulted teenager – 2 October 2025
Multiple investigations are examining a Victorian church’s response to child sexual offending committed by a senior pastor’s son. Joshua Emonson, 23, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a teenage girl in February. Emonson’s father has been suspended from his role as a pastor, pending an investigation into how the church handled the matter. He denies any wrongdoing.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-02/encourage-church-romsey-under-investigation/105820656
ASIC bans former insurance broker Munther El-Alami for eight years – 2 October 2025
ASIC has banned Mr Munther El-Alami for a period of eight years from providing any financial services, controlling an entity that carries on a financial services business, and performing any function involved in the carrying on of a financial services business. ASIC found that Mr El-Alami did not comply with a financial services law by engaging in misleading or deceptive conduct by making misleading or false representations when submitting applications for life insurance policies on behalf of clients.
Investigation & Fraud News – Week ending 26 September 2025
Former ATO employee convicted for tampering with records and making false claims – 17 September 2025
Kasey Harries, a former Australian Taxation Office employee has been convicted and sentenced for misusing sensitive taxpayer information to make fraudulent claims. She had previously pleaded guilty to 10 charges, including obtaining financial advantage by deception and aiding and abetting another person to attempt to commit an offence.
Victoria’s anti-corruption commission searches Chinese language school over alleged misuse of public funding – 19 September 2025
Victoria’s anti-corruption commission has searched Xin Jin Shan Chinese Language and Culture School offices over alleged misuse of public funding, from the Victorian education department. The community language school is one of the biggest in Victoria. The investigation relates to suspected offences of obtaining property by deception, false accounting, and falsification of documents, which each carry a maximum 10-year prison sentence.
Report scathing of police and CCC over failure to respond to complaints of police misconduct – 19 September 2025
The Parliamentary Inspector of the CCC has found WA Police’s Internal Affairs Unit is “reluctant to find misconduct by police officers.” The report details an allegation of an off-duty officer choking a man following a road rage incident and not being charged. WA Police said it would consider the report in full before commenting further.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-19/police-ccc-complaints-misconduct-report-/105791424
ATO moves to bankrupt Adgemis ahead of creditor’s vote – 20 September 2025
The Australian Taxation Office is ramping up its pursuit of Jon Adgemis, asking a court to allow it to take the place of Monaco-based rag trader Richard Gazal in his bankruptcy action against the beleaguered publican. The ATO applied to the Federal Court on Thursday. Gazal is one of a number of creditors who have been pursuing Adgemis for more than a year.
Digital version of AFR required to read full article
UN says there’s evidence organised crime scam centres are moving from South-East Asia into new frontier of the Pacific – 20 September 2025
Scam centres run by Asian organised crime outfits appear to have set up on Australia’s doorstep, exploiting areas with relaxed regulations to expand their lucrative illegal operations and money laundering fronts. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has issued an alert about the emergence of triad-linked scam centres in Timor-Leste after a raid at a hotel in its Special Administrative Region of Oecusse-Ambeno in late August. The scam operations industrialised in South-East Asia during the past five years have been estimated to cost victims about $60 billion each year.
Australia’s surveillance framework: National security and counter-terrorism watchdog signals reform – 22 September 2025
Significant changes are anticipated for Australia’s electronic surveillance regime following a comprehensive review by the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor (INSLM). The review assessed the powers of the Australian Federal Police and Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission to combat cybercrimes.
Victorian man jailed for complex fraud to help business owners knowingly avoid bankruptcy – 22 September 2025
A Melbourne lawyer has been sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, with a non-parole period of one year, for perverting the course of justice and running an offshore scam to help his clients avoid bankruptcy. The man, 68, used his law firm to create fictitious personal debts for two clients so they could gain a favourable outcome from bankruptcy and insolvency processes. The two clients were also involved in the scheme, while the man received a financial benefit for his business through the process. To ensure his clients avoided bankruptcy and repaid cents-on-the-dollar to creditors, the man then initiated insolvency proceedings based on false and backdated documentation.
Fraud charges – Operation Xray Sailing – 23 September 2025
Detectives from the Crime and Intelligence Command, Financial Crime Unit, have charged five people with 112 fraud related offences as part of Operation Xray Sailing.
The operation was the culmination of a six-month investigation by the Financial Crime Unit into the activities of the criminal syndicate, who allegedly assumed the identity of bank customers who maintained significant cash balances. The total amount stolen by the syndicate was $723,898, with a further $466,535 of attempted fraudulent withdrawals being detected and blocked by various bank branches.
https://mypolice.qld.gov.au/news/2025/09/23/fraud-charges-operation-xray-sailing/
Optus and ANZ show the governance failures of the director class – 24 September 2025
Australia’s listed company corporate governance system is fundamentally broken. The $240 million penalty imposed on ANZ Bank – ASIC’s largest ever fine – represents more than regulatory punishment; it is an indictment of a governance model that elevates symbolism over substance and independence over competence. Similarly, at least three deaths this week and the failure of the Triple Zero emergency response due to a failed Optus upgrade have striking parallels with ANZ’s board failure. It is too soon to know the magnitude and nature of the penalty. This is the second time that Optus has failed in this way.
Premier probe into Smiggle alleges culture of serious misconduct – 25 September 2025
Premier Investments’ probe into its stationery giant, Smiggle, has allegedly uncovered a culture of serious misconduct, ranging from absenteeism, intoxication during work hours, bullying, sexual harassment and potential bribery, according to its billionaire founder Solomon Lew. Lew was discussing the findings of an investigation, more than a year after John Cheston was sacked as chief executive of Smiggle, following his 12 years with the company.
GIM Trading used virtual office space to create veneer of legitimacy as it allegedly defrauded millions – 26 September 2025
GIM Trading claimed its head office was on Level 10, 440 Collins Street, Melbourne. The virtual office setup appears to have been used to build trust with investors, to give the impression of a real, substantial financial services firm located in prestigious business districts. According to fraud experts, these tactics are common in scams. The false appearance of presence (address, receptionist, phone, etc.) can mislead people doing “due diligence.”
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-26/gim-trading-bond-fraud-allegations-investigation/105782912
Investigation & Fraud News – Week ending 19 September 2025
Australian men charged with allegedly trafficking firearms after international kidnapping investigation – 13 September 2025
Two Australian men have been charged with allegedly trafficking firearms to a paramilitary group in Indonesia. The armed rebels kidnapped New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens in 2023, which sparked a two-year international investigation. A Queensland man and a New South Wales man are due to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on October 17 charged with multiple offences.
Dezi Freeman search at Porepunkah now Australia’s largest tactical police deployment – 14 September 2025
Hundreds of officers from Victoria, interstate, the Australian Federal Police and the army continue to search dense, rugged bushland in Victoria’s north-east for the fugitive, who has now been on the run for 20 days. This is a really highly technical search that requires absolutely specialist capabilities to undertake because of the dangers that are involved.
Townsville Mayor Troy Thompson found to have breached code of conduct – 15 September 2025
Townsville Mayor Troy Thompson has been found to have breached the council’s code of conduct. The city council accepted a finding that an email circulated by Cr Thompson was unfair and unreasonable. Cr Thompson has rejected all claims against him.
ANZ faces $240 million penalty for misconduct – 15 September 2025
The ANZ Bank has been slammed by the financial regulator for betraying the trust of Australians and ripping off the federal government. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission, ASIC, is asking a court to hit the bank with a $240 million penalty. ASIC says the bank’s widespread misconduct involved shonky bond trading for the government as well as failures to pay correct interest rates, refund fees charged to dead people and help struggling customers.
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/pm/anz-faces-240-million-penalty-for-misconduct-/105776424
‘Whole attack surface has changed’: Fake financials are a thing – 16 September 2025
Everyone seems to have a scam story about how a person or AI agent pretending to be from Amazon or Australia Post tried to scam them or their parents, even Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, who says he nearly fell for one. But what caught our ears at the Financial Review Cyber Summit is how this has crossed into the intersection of corporate Australia and markets, where information (or misinformation) is a tradeable commodity that can send shares up or down almost instantly.
How Did Whistleblower Evidence Topple Super Retail Group CEO? – 17 September 2025
New evidence from Federal Court proceedings has led to the sacking of Super Retail CEO Anthony Heraghty, ending a saga of alleged misconduct at the Brisbane-based retailer. The controversy began in November 2023 when an anonymous tip to the company’s whistleblower platform, Whispli, alleged a secret relationship between Heraghty and former head of human resources Jane Kelly. Internal complaints also highlighted misuse of company resources and travel, as well as alleged inappropriate conduct, though Super Retail has denied these claims.
GIM Trading director Darren Geddes blocked from leaving Australia in court order – 17 September 2025
The corporate watchdog has taken action against an Australian company accused of defrauding investors of their life-savings. This week, the ABC revealed Global Investment Marketing, known as GIM Trading, had raised millions of dollars from customers who believed they were buying corporate or government bonds. However, customers suspect the bonds were never purchased and their money is now missing, feared stolen. The former public face of the company, Stephen Cubis, told the ABC he believed GIM Trading had operated a fraudulent scheme.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-17/asic-court-order-gim-trading-bond-fraud-allegations/105782628
Prominent crime figures sentenced following illicit tobacco investigation – 17 September 2025
Two men, with links to serious organised crime entities and outlaw motorcycle gangs, have been sentenced for importing and distributing more than 10.6 million illicit cigarettes with an estimated duty evasion of over AUD $13 million. Both men pled guilty to all charges after being arrested in late 2023 following a joint operation in NSW.
The rotten advice at the core of super’s $1.2b fail – 17 September 2025
There is one great thing to come out of a superannuation scandal that could cost investors $1.2 billion. It has revealed the tricks that some financial advisers and their associated lead generators used to entice people to invest in First Guardian, Shield Master Trust and Australian Fiduciaries.
The statements of advice given to clients by financial advisers at Venture Egg and MWL Financial, both now under investigation by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, had a number of red flags.
Kmart broke privacy laws by using facial recognition technology, commissioner finds – 18 September 2025
Retail giant Kmart broke privacy laws by using facial recognition technology (FRT) on its customers, the privacy commissioner has found. Over the two years until July 2022, Kmart captured the facial data of “tens or hundreds of thousands” of customers at store entrances and return counters, in an attempt to tackle refund fraud. But after a three-year investigation, privacy commissioner Carly Kind found Kmart’s use of FRT was disproportionate, and the company did not gain consent to use it on shoppers.
Chinese cars pose cyber security risk – 18 September 2025
Cyber security expert Alistair McGibbon has warned Australian public officials against using Chinese-made vehicles, claiming they could function as mobile surveillance devices with potential for remote control. He argues these cars pose national security risks as manufacturers maintain constant connectivity and could theoretically disable safety features or access onboard data. More than 140,000 Chinese-made vehicles have been sold in Australia this year, while the US has announced plans to ban certain Chinese and Russian car hardware and software from 2027.
NT sports star and school staffer committed to stand trial on student sex charges – 18 September 2025
A decorated athlete will have charges of having sex with a student at a school where he worked dealt with in the Northern Territory Supreme Court later this year.
The man aged in his 30s is accused of “grooming” the girl via text, with prosecutors describing his conduct as “brazen” and “calculating”. The man is yet to enter a plea and will remain on bail until his case returns to court in October.
Investigation & Fraud News – Week ending 12 September 2025
Doctor struck off medical register after sexual misconduct with patient – 6 September 2025
A 55-YEAR-OLD South African doctor practising in Australia has been struck off the medical register after being found guilty of having a sexual relationship with a vulnerable 24-year-old patient suffering from mental health issues and alcoholism. Dr Indren Moodley was also found to have dangerously prescribed high-risk medication and has been banned from practising medicine for four years.
Australian police officer accused of gold laundering linked to gambling – 8 September 2025
A former New South Wales police officer has been accused of committing serious misconduct after allegedly selling AU$1.3m (US$851,000) worth of family-owned gold bars to fund a gambling addiction. The case was triggered by intelligence from the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC).
Accused Broken Hill ATM fraudster gets tighter bail conditions over flight concerns – 9 September 2025
A Broken Hill man is facing fraud charges relating to nearly $1 million under two separate names. Lyndon Jake Pace’s bail conditions were tightened after police removed him from a plane while he was heading interstate. He will return to court in September.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-09/broken-hill-atm-fraud-charges-tighter-bail/105748236
FAAA aware of cases of unlicensed SMSF and property advice – 9 September 2025
The Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA) has confirmed it is aware of cases of unlicensed SMSF and property-related advice and will pass serious misconduct on to regulators. These practices not only breach the Corporations Act but also expose naive investors to unnecessary risks while undermining licensed advisers who are bound by best interests duties.
https://www.ifa.com.au/news/36200-faaa-aware-of-cases-of-unlicensed-smsf-and-property-advice
Former PwC boss Tom Seymour black-listed by Tax Practitioners Board over tax leak scandal – 9 September 2025
The Tax Practitioners Board has black-listed former PwC boss Tom Seymour for failing to prevent the deliberate misuse and leaking of confidential government tax information in a scandal which rocked the consulting giant. Mr Seymour was forced to resign from the consulting giant in May 2023 following revelations its head of international tax Peter Collins shared the government’s confidential tax plans to block multinational companies from shifting their profits overseas.
Westpac had warnings of widespread misconduct at RAMS Home Loans – 10 September 2025
Westpac’s investigation into misconduct across its now-closed RAMS Home Loan network found concerns at more than half of its franchisees and gave just five a clean bill of health, new court filings show. The internal probe of the network, with its 70 franchisees, took place in 2022, was known as Project Guardian and cost the bank $46 million. Westpac, the country’s second-largest mortgage lender, absorbed a $31.8 billion RAMS loan portfolio last August after the investigation concluded that there was serious misconduct at several franchises.
Police allege illegal tobacco mastermind dodged $30 million in taxes, fuelled crime in Victoria – 11 September 2025
Police say they have arrested the ringleader behind a major illegal tobacco syndicate in Victoria. A 49-year-old Coburg North man was arrested and a large amount of illegal tobacco was seized. A 29-year-old man also faces charges linked to illegal tobacco.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-11/melbourne-illegal-tobacco-arrest/105760448
Major builder joins call for royal commission into Vic rorts claims – 11 September 2025
A senior building executive and state and federal oppositions have called for a royal commission to investigate whether Victoria’s Allan government knew about rorting, intimidation and kickbacks at major infrastructure projects as far back as 2023. Premier Jacinta Allan said she passed on corruption allegations about the state’s Big Build projects – which occurred when she was transport and infrastructure minister – to relevant authorities but did not follow them up.
Fertility Society rocked by allegations of $3m fraud as D-day looms on regulator’s future – 11 September 2025
Shocking allegations of embezzlement at the fertility industry’s peak body have been revealed. A person who worked as an external contractor to the society is suspected of transferring amounts totalling more than $3 million into a personal bank account between 2018 and 2023, disguised as “supplier expenses”.
Australia court freezes AU$53m as ASIC probes gambling claims – 11 September 2025
Australia’s Federal Court has extended freezing orders against First Mutual Private Equity and director Gregory Raymond Cotton, as part of ASIC investigation into suspected misuse of investor funds. The regulator alleges approximately AU$53 million may have been used for gambling activities rather than legitimate investments.
https://www.igamingtoday.com/australia-court-freezes-au53m-as-asic-probes-gambling-claims/
Regional manager’s procurement decisions defended in international logistics dismissal – 12 September 2025
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) recently dealt with a regional manager’s dismissal, which had allegations of procurement misconduct and policy breaches. The case arose when the logistics company dismissed the worker following an internal audit that questioned her use of supplier engagement processes during the establishment of Australian operations, leading to serious allegations of embezzlement, fraud, and corruption. The worker argued she was unfairly dismissed.
