A self-proclaimed fortune-teller and feng shui master has been arrested in Sydney for allegedly running a £35m (A$70m) fraud syndicate that preyed on vulnerable members of the Vietnamese community.
Anya Phan, 53, and her daughter Thi Ta, 25, were taken into custody at their Dover Heights home on Wednesday. Police allege Phan convinced victims to take out loans by predicting a 'billionaire' would enter their lives, then pocketed at least £75,000 (A$150,000) per loan.
Detective Superintendent Gordon Arbinja said Phan had been receiving disability support payments for over 20 years while living in a property with £28,000 (A$56,000) monthly repayments and gambling large sums at a Sydney casino. In one instance, she allegedly laundered £22,500 (A$45,000) in just three hours.
Phan faces 39 charges, including directing a criminal group and 19 counts of fraud. She was refused bail and will appear in court in January. Her daughter was granted conditional bail on lesser charges.
The investigation, initially focused on car financing fraud, uncovered a wider scheme involving personal and home loans. Police have frozen £7.5m (A$15m) in assets and arrested 17 people, with more arrests expected, including lawyers and accountants.
