A 53-year-old woman claiming to be a feng shui master and fortune-teller has been arrested for allegedly orchestrating a scheme that defrauded vulnerable clients of millions of dollars, Australian police said on Thursday.
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The woman “allegedly exploited vulnerable clients within the Vietnamese community by persuading them to take out financial loans – while taking a share herself – based on her prediction that there was a ‘billionaire’ in their future”, New South Wales police said.
A 25-year-old woman was also arrested and charged for assisting the older woman in the scheme, which police estimated to be worth A$70 million (US$46 million).
The two women were arrested on Wednesday at a Sydney address, where police also seized “financial documents, mobile phones, other electronics, luxury handbags, a 40 gram (0.08lbs) gold bar worth A$10,000 and A$6,600 in casino chips”.
The 53-year-old was charged with 39 offences, including knowingly directing activities of a criminal group, dishonestly obtaining financial advantage and knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime with intent to conceal.
The younger woman was charged with offences including dishonestly obtaining financial advantage and recklessly dealing with proceeds of general crime intended to conceal.