Three people have been charged with defrauding a woman of $1.5 million as part of an immigration scam in Sydney’s north.
Detectives began investigating in February 2021, following reports a 46-year-old woman had been defrauded of $1.5m through a company while trying to arrange an Australian visa, police said on Wednesday.
Officers arrested a 36-year-old man at a home in Narwee, in Sydney’s south on May 4.
He was charged with dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception, recklessly dealing with proceeds of crime, publishing a false statement to deceive and participating in a criminal group.
The man was granted strict conditional bail to appear before Bankstown Local Court on June 6.
Detectives also raided a home at Turramurra, in Sydney’s north on Tuesday, arresting a 42-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman and seizing mobile phones, laptops, hard drives, passports, and documents.
They have both been charged with a string of offences including dishonestly obtaining property by deception, knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime and participating in a criminal group.
Police will allege in court the three people worked at an immigration company based in Chatswood and were hired by the 46-year-old woman to help secure Australian citizenship for herself and her family in exchange for $1.5m in 2017.
It will be alleged they transferred the $1.5m into personal bank accounts and were forging documentation, including citizenship documents, without helping the woman secure an Australian visa.
Both were granted strict conditional bail to appear before Hornsby Local Court on June 14.
Investigations are continuing.
Source: AAP