A self-proclaimed fortune-teller and feng shui master has been arrested for allegedly playing a central role in one of the largest financial fraud operations in Australian history, according to police.
New South Wales police on Wednesday arrested 53-year-old Anya Phan and her 25-year-old daughter, Thi Ta, during a raid at their Dover Heights home, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
Detectives alleged the older woman played a key role in orchestrating more than A$70m (£35m) in fraudulent activity, exploiting her standing within Sydney’s Vietnamese community to recruit participants for the scheme that the Sydney Morning Herald dubbed as the “Penthouse Syndicate”.
During the raid, officers seized luxury handbags, electronics, financial records, mobile phones, a 40-gram gold bar valued at A$10,000 (£5,000), and A$6,600 (£3,300) worth of casino chips.
Police alleged that Ms Phan persuaded vulnerable members of the community to take out large financial loans while keeping a share of the loans for herself.
Investigators alleged she preyed on their trust by claiming to foresee their rise to wealth, telling clients they would “become billionaires”, and using her image as a spiritual adviser to reinforce the deception.
Police added that an extra A$15m in assets was frozen during Wednesday’s operation, bringing the total value of seized property linked to the syndicate to A$75m.
Detective Superintendent Gordon Arbinja, head of the financial crimes squad, said Ms Phan was trusted and influential within her community, but used that influence to exploit others.
“The 53-year-old has claimed to be a feng shui master and fortune-teller who convinced these vulnerable people to become a mule in the criminal syndicate where they would receive an amount of money, and each time she convinced these people to do these loans, she would pocket at least $150,000 herself,” Mr Arbinja alleged.
“What is also alarming is that this woman was trusted within her community. She arrived in Australia in 2001 and soon after became an Australian citizen.
“She has not worked during this time … The repayments on the Dover Heights address alone were $56,000 a month, yet she was receiving disability support payments for over 20 years and was a VIP customer at a Sydney-based casino.
“We [allege] that she has at least laundered over $520,000 in a two-month period alone at this Sydney-based casino. She’s a high roller and very influential amongst her community,” Mr Arbinja said.
Her daughter is accused of helping facilitate the scheme, allegedly purchasing a A$5.3m property in Rose Bay on behalf of the syndicate.
Both women were taken to Surry Hills Police Station following their arrests.
