Australia arrests fortune teller behind $46M fraud scheme

According to investigators, the 53-year-old woman, who presented herself as a feng shui master and fortune teller, specifically targeted vulnerable members of the Vietnamese community. Using her authority as a “spiritual adviser,” she convinced people to take out large personal, business, and home loans, assuring them she could “see” wealth coming into their lives.

Police say she kept a share of the borrowed funds for herself. Her 25-year-old daughter also took part in the fraudulent scheme.

These actions became a central element of a broader investigation under Strike Force Myddleton, launched in January 2024. The operation initially uncovered a scheme involving luxury “ghost cars” purchased through stolen personal data. The full scale of the criminal activities later proved to be much wider, as detectives identified multimillion-dollar loan fraud across several financial institutions.

The total damage is estimated at nearly A$70 million. Earlier in the operation, 17 individuals had already been charged, while the NSW Crime Commission froze assets worth A$60 million.

On the morning of 12 November 2025, detectives searched the suspects’ residence in the upscale suburb of Dover Heights. Police seized financial documents, phones, electronics, luxury handbags, a 40-gram gold bar, and casino chips. An additional A$15 million worth of assets was frozen, bringing the total amount linked to the syndicate to A$75 million.

The woman was charged with 39 offences, including directing a criminal group, fraud, concealing proceeds of crime, and identity misuse. She was remanded in custody ahead of her appearance at Downing Centre Local Court on 13 November. Her daughter was granted conditional bail and is scheduled to appear in court on 23 January 2026.

Kazakhstan is also intensifying its efforts against fraud. Earlier, Interior Minister Yerzhan Sadenov reported to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev that crime in the country fell by more than 12,700 cases in 2024.