Sydney financier charged over alleged role in ghost car syndicate buying luxury cars with stolen information

A Sydney finance worker has been charged for her alleged role in a sophisticated fraud and money laundering crime syndicate that allegedly bought luxury cars using stolen personal information. The 37-year old woman was arrested at a CBD apartment about 6.50am on Wednesday when police seized luxury cars, bags and clothing worth more than $1.4m. Police found a Maserati Grecale, a Lamborghini Urus and a Ferrari F171 in the unit’s carpark. The woman is facing 12 offences, including obtaining financial advantage by deception, dealing with the proceeds of crime, participating in criminal activity, creating fake documents, obtaining property by deception and using false documents to obtain financial advantage. Strike Force Myddleton began investigating the syndicate targeting Sydney automotive financing companies in January last year. Police allege the syndicate used stolen personal information to apply for loans through various financial companies to purchase luxury “ghost cars” that did not exist. Detectives also allege the syndicate committed large-scale personal, business and home loan fraud against multiple financial institutions. A police spokesman said the NSW Crime Commission had frozen $53m in assets and 11 people had been charged under the strike force and were before the courts. Police allege the latest woman to be charged over the operation used her role as a finance professional to facilitate about $4m worth of fraud. Financial Crimes Squad commander Gordon Arbinja said investigators were now shifting their attention. “Strike Force Myddleton has now put 11 people before the courts and disrupted a highly organised criminal enterprise operating across multiple financial sectors,” he said. “We are now focusing on professional facilitators who we believe are enabling this syndicate’s operations – particularly those working in the professional financial industry, including accounting, financial services, and taxation.” The woman was refused bail and will appear before the Bail Division Court on Thursday.