Conman in Aussie Land cheat Foreigners.. Guess the Race?

Hypocrite-The · Sep 21, 2018

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Serial conman Eddie Kang up to old tricks ripping off vulnerable students
EXCLUSIVE BY STEVE CANNANE AND DUNJA KARAGIC, ABC INVESTIGATIONSUPDATED ABOUT 5 HOURS AGO
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PHOTO
Businessman Eddie Kang was convicted of 22 counts of fraud and misleading conduct.
One of Australia's most notorious scam artists is continuing to run a business that rips off vulnerable students while he is out on bail appealing his conviction and sentence.
Key points:

ABC investigation uncovers evidence a convicted fraudster is continuing to take tens of thousands of dollars off foreign students
He promises them visas and jobs, but they never eventuate and one woman found herself deported without a visa
Students say federal immigration authorities have failed to act against Eddie Kang despite complaints, which Kang says are "unfounded"

Eddie Kang was sentenced to 12 months in prison in March 2017 after he was convicted of 22 counts of fraud and misleading conduct involving 11 foreign students who paid his companies to secure 457 visas.
The jobs and the visas never eventuated, and the Korean-born businessman refused to refund the students' money including payments worth tens of thousands of dollars.
One of Kang's bail conditions states he must not "file any visa applications using a company of which he is sole director".
An ABC investigation has uncovered evidence the convicted fraudster continues to take money off foreign students under the false promise he will secure them visas and sponsored employment.
According to a release from Fair Trading NSW he had been doing that in association with a company owned by another Korean-born businessman Yoon Seok "Joseph" Choi.
"I think he is just laughing at the Australian community and the Australian laws," Karl Konrad, a migration agent who claims up to a hundred of Kang's clients had come into his office seeking help, said.
The ABC has spoken to 10 people who said they had signed contracts with Kang since he was convicted of fraud.
Many have handed over their life savings. All were unaware of his convictions at the time and are dismayed that Australian authorities have allowed him to continue to run his operation while he is out on bail.
Do you know more about this story? Email [email protected].One of Kang's recent victims deported
Marjan Nabavi signed a contract with Kang six months after the Sydney businessman was sentenced to prison. His distinctive signature graces each page of the contract.
Ms Nabavi had lived in Australia for six years. Two of her brothers have citizenship and she was desperate to stay.
When the Iranian's visa application was rejected she searched online for migration agents to help with her appeal. She soon found herself in Kang's office in North Sydney.
"He said 'I'll give you a guarantee that we will find a job and you will get citizenship'," she said.
"He said, 'In case you don't like the job we will give your money back'."
PHOTO Sydney businessman Eddie Kang has rejected claims made by former clients about his businesses.
ABC NEWS
Ms Nabavi handed over $35,000, thinking she would soon be granted citizenship.
Instead her story follows the standard Kang script. No job was secured, no visa was obtained, no refund was provided.
She said she was unaware she had overstayed her visa while Kang was meant to be resolving her permanent residency application, and she was kicked out of the country.
"The worst feeling is that he is still there taking money from people, but I am here [in Iran] and I cannot do anything," Ms Nabavi said.

"I got deported, I got a three-year ban, my life changed, but he was the cheater. He is still there."

Her brother Mahmood, who lives in Melbourne, is devastated by his sister's deportation.
PHOTO Mahmoud Nabavi wants Kang's businesses shut down.
SUPPLIED
"She is my sister. No-one can replace her," Mr Nabavi said.
He wants action taken against Kang to shut his business down while he is out on bail.
"First of all, someone has to stop him," he said.
"Secondly, he has to return everything that he took from vulnerable people."
Clawing the money back
Getting a refund from Kang is a torturous process.

Over the years many students have been forced to return to their home countries with empty pockets.
Those who remain in Australia find it impossible to get him to pay up.
The disgraced businessman ignores calls, makes promises he does not deliver, sends abusive text messages and has even been accused of making death threats.
Sunil Thapaliya signed a contract with Kang after he was sentenced to jail.
When the Nepalese student discovered he had been convicted of fraud he asked for his money back.
Kang accused him of trying to destroy his business and racially abused him.
Court order ignored
Many foreign students who have been frustrated with Kang's refusal to refund their money over the years have sought financial redress through civil and administrative tribunals.
Despite a series of tribunal orders against Kang he refuses to pay what he owes.
Leilani Dajalos gave Kang $15,500 to secure a 457 visa and was promised employment with a hair salon.
The Filipino student received neither.
After she repeatedly asked for her money back, Kang returned just $800.
The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) ordered him to pay Ms Dajalos $14,700, but more than 18 months later she still has not seen a cent.
PHOTO Filipino student Leilani Dajalos gave Eddie Kang $15,000 to secure a 457 visa.
ABC NEWS: SIMON WINTER
"It's very frustrating," she said.
"I am an international student and that money was supposed to be for my tuition fees.

"It hurts because it's hard-earned money.

"We are doing a lot of hard work here and it goes to someone like Edward Kang for a visa that never exists."
Ms Dajalos said she had suffered anxiety throughout the process and her husband fell sick.
She said seeing Kang's business still functioning made it harder to cope.
"In spite of all the victims that he had, I still see his ads, his company on the job advertising sites and on Facebook," she said.
Why can't Kang be shut down?

Kang is a clever operator, a chameleon who constantly changes business names.
He has run his operation under various names including Singapore Oil, Skylane Worldwide, Mill and Penn, and the Borderless Globe.
All up he has been a director of over 20 companies in the past five years.
He even changed his own name, after a previous ABC expose, starting to call himself Ted Kang.
Last year Fair Trading NSW issued a media release warning consumers not to deal with one of his operation's most recent incarnations, Goldman Pintex — a company owned by 23-year-old associate Yoon Seok "Joseph" Choi.
That name was soon retired, and Kang continued operating under other names such as RSMS Australia and ARVS.
While Kang has been able to trick foreign students who may have poor English skills, little understanding of Australian consumer law or have been in the country for a short time, he has also been able to get past authorities.
While the NSW Office of Fair Trading led the prosecution against Kang that saw him convicted of fraud, international students and migration agents have told the ABC the federal department responsible for immigration has ignored their complaints.
Sydney migration agent Mr Konrad has been making complaints to the federal government since 2013.
PHOTO Sydney migration agent Karl Konrad wants Kang's visa cancelled.
ABC NEWS: DAVID MAGUIRE
"The Department of Immigration have done absolutely nothing," Mr Konrad said.
"Even though the criminal charges were laid, and he was convicted, and they're still aware that he seems to be carrying on the same practices, they still do nothing which is quite amazing."
Kang is in Australia on a New Zealand passport. Mr Konrad believes he should be kicked out of the country.
"There are powers under the act to cancel the visa and the Minister has that power," Mr Konrad said.

In a statement, the Department of Home Affairs said the matter was before the courts and investigations were underway.
"The Australian Border Force (ABF) continues to provide assistance to the NSW Department of Fair Trading who have commenced proceedings on these matters under the Consumer Law," the statement said.
"The ABF continues to refer alleged victims of Mr Kang to the NSW Department of Fair Trading."
ABC coverage 'witch-hunting fake news', Kang says
Kang refused to be interviewed by the ABC.
In an email he said this story was part of a pattern of "unfounded accusations and untrue reportings".
"This type of witch-hunting fake news must be disappeared from earth," he said.
"Danger is that your initial fake reports will be spreading like epidemics thru [sic] google and youtube on the internet, and finally becoming facts pretending that is true, being believed by public, harassing and haunting too many honest victims for their entire lives, destroying their lives."
In 2009 Kang's immigration consulting company across the ditch was put into liquidation by order of New Zealand's High Court.
The liquidator's report found Kang to be "dishonest" and said that many members of the local Korean community had claimed to "have lost large sums of money" in dealings with Kang.
The report recommended Kang "should not be operating a business in New Zealand".
Australian authorities cannot say they were not warned.
EXTERNAL LINKWaterstone Insolvency's report on Eddie Kang.
POSTED ABOUT 11 HOURS AGO
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Hypocrite-The · Feb 1, 2019

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Eddie Kang, serial con man, facing deportation to New Zealand after fake visa rort
BY STEVE CANNANE, ABC INVESTIGATIONSUPDATED ABOUT 3 HOURS AGO
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PHOTO
Con man Eddie Kang accused the ABC of having a vendetta against him.
ABC NEWS: STEVE CANNANE
A serial scam artist who defrauded vulnerable international students out of tens of thousands of dollars is facing deportation to New Zealand.
Key points:

Eddie Kang was convicted of fraud and misleading conduct in 2017
He promised visas to international students that never arrived
Now the Korean-born con man is facing deportation to New Zealand, where he holds a passport

The Federal Court on Thursday heard Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton had issued a letter to Korean-born businessman Eddie Kang putting him on notice that there are grounds to cancel his visa.
Kang was convicted in March 2017 of 22 counts of fraud and misleading conduct involving 11 foreign students who had paid his North Sydney business for residency visas that were never delivered.
Kang was sentenced to 12 months in jail but did not serve a day in prison after he appealed his convictions.
That appeal is due to be heard in the New South Wales District Court on February 11.
In September the ABC revealed the fraudster was up to his old trickswhile on bail.
The ABC spoke to 10 foreign nationals who had signed contracts with Kang, unaware he had been convicted of fraud.
Kang has been living in Australia since 2012 on a 444 visa, a type of visa granted to New Zealand passport holders.
The Minister's decision to put the Sydney businessman on notice he could be deported does not appear to be on grounds of bad character.
Do you know more about this story? Email [email protected].
Kang unsuccessfully applied to the Federal Court in Sydney on Thursday to prevent the Minister from making a decision to cancel his visa until his District Court appeal is heard.
During the hearing it was declared Kang was facing deportation under subsection 1AC and 1AD of Section 116 of the Migration Act, parts of the act which prohibit payments for visa sponsorship.
When approached outside the Federal Court, Kang blamed the ABC and migration agent Karl Konrad for his current predicament.
"It's because of your influence. You and Karl Konrad," Kang said as he fled into a carpark lift.
"You and Karl Konrad instigated the whole thing. It's like a personal vendetta."

PHOTO Kang attended Federal Court today.
ABC NEWS: STEVE CANNANE
Mr Konrad first alerted the Department of Immigration, as it was then called, about Kang's scams in 2013.
He told the ABC he was pleased Kang had been put on notice.
"It's wonderful to see that after five years the Immigration Department is finally taking some action to deport Mr Kang," Mr Konrad said.
"So many innocent people have suffered due to his criminal actions.
"One has to wonder how many could have been saved the hardship had the department acted sooner."

PHOTO Sydney migration agent Karl Konrad said Kang needed to take responsibility for his actions.
ABC NEWS: DAVID MAGUIRE
Mr Konrad said it was time the serial con artist took responsibility for his actions.
"Mr Kang has only himself to blame for his current predicament, but if he thinks I had a hand in getting him deported, then that is a fine honour he has bestowed upon me," he said.
When asked for the specific reason for Mr Dutton's seeking of Kang's removal, the Department of Home Affairs would not comment, except to say it was aware of the case.
"Due to privacy reasons, and the fact that the matter is before the courts, it is not appropriate for the department to provide any further comment," a department statement said.
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winnipegjets · Feb 1, 2019

Sam Leong's countryman. I thought Kiwis were better than Aussies.

rushifa666 · Feb 1, 2019

He works better than a wall. We need hjm here

syed putra · Feb 1, 2019

Its the culture and tradition. This is what they are taught in classes.

尔虞我诈 = Cheat one another
如果你没有作弊你将被骗 = If you don`t cheat you will be cheated

Hypocrite-The · Feb 1, 2019

syed putra said:
Its the culture and tradition. This is what they are taught in classes.

尔虞我诈 = Cheat one another
如果你没有作弊你将被骗 = If you don`t cheat you will be cheated

Well said. Koreans learnt that well

syed putra · Feb 1, 2019

Hypocrite-The said:
Well said. Koreans learnt that well

They shared similar culture

steffychun · Feb 1, 2019

Of course Chinks con. So do m&ds and Shitskins.

Hypocrite-The · Mar 28, 2021

Alleged Ponzi operator Veronica Macpherson poised for return to business

A head and shoulder shot of Veronica Macpherson will a Pilbara port in the background.

Ms Macpherson is preparing to be discharged from her three-year bankruptcy.( Facebook: Veronica Macpherson )
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A woman accused of running an alleged Ponzi scheme in Western Australia's Pilbara region is poised to make a fresh start in business, vowing she has done nothing wrong.
Key points:

Ms Macpherson is banned from providing financial services
Investigations into her Macro Group business dealings are continuing
She has registered a new company called Karmic Resources

Most of the investors who contributed more than $120 million to Veronica Macpherson's Macro Group of companies are likely to never see their money again.
Ms Macpherson is preparing to be discharged from her three-year bankruptcy, while investigations by the corporate watchdog into her Macro Group business dealings are continuing.
From a business address at Ephraim Island on the Gold Coast, she has registered a new company called Karmic Resources.
Although she is permanently banned from providing financial services, she is still committed to her plan to develop Pilbara housing, allowing fly-in, fly-out mine workers to shift to the region, via a co-operative company structure.
ASIC 'took false allegations too seriously': Macpherson
Ms Macpherson told the ABC Karmic Resources would be an "underwriting entity" for future Macro projects and that establishing wellness, drug rehabilitation and entertainment businesses in the Pilbara were also key priorities.
"It just has to be done because the accommodation there is still scarce and awful," she said in a statement.
"Particularly now that iron ore prices are high again and people understand the importance of not being socially isolated."
She said life during the ASIC investigation "has not been pleasant".
"I feel that ASIC was far too thorough, took false allegations too seriously, and that the media made a mess of things," she said.

Veronica Macpherson is still committed to her plan to develop housing in the Pilbara.( Supplied )
Her Macro Group of companies collapsed in 2016, with creditors owed more than $285 million.
Almost three years ago, liquidator Hayden White of KPMG handed over a detailed report to ASIC which identified many potential breaches of the Corporations Act, including:

Trading while insolvent
Uncommercial transactions
Concealing, destroying, mutilating or falsifying records
Failure to keep proper accounting records

An ASIC spokesman said the investigation had involved considerable effort and resources.
But Ms Macpherson has consistently denied the watchdog's allegation that she was involved with a Ponzi scheme and engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct.
She also rejects any suggestion that she was involved in forgery.
"If anything like this did happen, it wasn't with my approval and I didn't stand to benefit in any way," she said.
About 2,000 investors — mostly from overseas and predominantly from Malaysia and Singapore — contributed about $120 million to Macro Group companies for housing developments in Port Hedland and Newman.
The ABC has heard stories of people forced to sell their family home, retirees having to return to work and people suffering serious mental and physical health problems resulting from the loss of their investment.
But, as a report to creditors by Mr White alleged, Ms Macpherson spent millions of their money on lavish events and jetsetting, including to Richard Branson's private Caribbean island.

A woman in a pink singlet and sunglasses sits on a thatch-roofed day bed on a beach next to a smiling Richard Branson.

Veronica Macpherson with Richard Branson on his Necker Island resort in 2016.( Facebook: Maverick Events )
In the Federal Court in June 2018, she was banned from providing financial services, with ASIC finding that in her involvement with the Newman Estate project she:

Had engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct
Was not of good fame or character
Had engaged in dishonest conduct
Was involved in a contravention of financial services laws

Advisory firm sounds warning
Sydney financial advisory firm SR Group is well acquainted with how money flowed through the Macro Group through its work representing 23 investors.
Managing director Susie Barnett said it was important to warn potential investors that Ms Macpherson would soon be back in business.
"You watch, Macpherson will come out of bankruptcy and in a month she will be doing the same thing again," she said.
The myriad ways in which the Pilbara investment schemes were promoted and structured via more than 78 companies have left behind some clear winners and losers.
Most investors and particularly those from overseas, like Malaysian man CJ Tan, are unlikely to see their money again.
Mr Tan is furious that Ms Macpherson is restarting her career while he and other Malaysian and Singaporean investors have no hope of recovering their money.
"At the least, it is terribly unjust, unfair to us overseas investors who lended to Veronica Macpherson a huge chunk or the majority of her borrowings," he said.

Malaysian investor CJ Tan is unlikely to ever see his money again.( ABC News: James Carmody )
Yet in a welcome development, some Australian investors have received their money back with interest, via Australian and state government-funded compensation schemes for victims of unlawful business behaviour.
Ian and Wendy Rabone are two of the lucky ones, but it has been a struggle for the couple who live in the coastal town of Ocean Grove, near Geelong.
"When you are in your late 50s and you lose $200,000, it's not the best of feelings I can tell you," he said.
Looking to create a retirement income stream, the couple invested in October 2012 after attending three investment seminars Ms MacPherson presented in Victoria the same year.

Ian Rabone and his wife Wendy were investing to create an income stream in retirement.( Supplied )
A qualified chartered accountant, Mr Rabone said her numbers stacked up and the returns were attractive.
So he invested $199,000 in the Newman Estate development via a company called Anquan Securities and Investment Pty Ltd, which held the Australian Financial services (AFS) licence.
But Anquan's investment scheme was not registered and marketed as only for sophisticated and wholesale investors, for which he did not qualify.
Mr Rabone alleges that, without his knowledge, he was signed off as a sophisticated investor and that his signature was forged on a title transfer document, an allegation which is being investigated by ASIC.
He lodged a complaint with the Financial Ombudsman Service Australia (FOS) and was finally able to get his money back with interest last year through a fund set up as a result of the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry.
Compensation not for all
One Perth investor, who did not want to be identified and who has not managed to get his money back, questioned why investors had been so poorly treated, given the findings of the royal commission.
He too invested $199,000 in the Newman Estate to help fund his retirement, but borrowed the money and ended up having to pay it all back, with interest, from his superannuation fund when the scheme collapsed.
His complaint was one of a number that was not passed on to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) when it took over from FOS in 2018, and so was not eligible for compensation.
Compounding the problem, he said, was that Anquan's indemnity insurance was inadequate.
"The insurance company just walked away from the problem," he said.
"So, with the stroke of a pen, easy as anything, everyone is home and dry, apart from the investors."
Further allegations of forged documents
The Rabones have much in common with Ian and Mary Bevan, who live in Landsdale on the north-eastern outskirts of Perth.
Their good fortune has relied on very specific circumstances.

Ian and Mary Bevan sitting at their kitchen table holding a Newman Estate investment brochure

Ian and Mary Bevan applied for compensation via a WA government fidelity fund.( ABC News: Robert Koenig-Luck )
They also feared they would never see the $199,000 they invested in the Newman Estate again.
And they also allege their signatures were forged on a key document.
The Bevans had also made a complaint to the FOS, which found that they were eligible for compensation.
They chose to apply for compensation via a WA Government fidelity fund, which was established to reimburse people who have lost property or money because of unlawful real estate activity.
Because they had paid their money to Macro Realty, a licensed real estate company, Mr Bevan said they were eligible to claim from the fund.

Ian Bevan looks at documents for the failed Newman Estate

Ian Bevan alleges the couple's signatures were forged on a key document.( ABC News: Robert Koenig-Luck )
While Mr Bevan was pleased to receive his money back a year ago, he was shocked to hear that Ms Macpherson was preparing to go back into business.
"I certainly won't be dealing with her again," he said.
Posted 6h

Hypocrite-The · Mar 30, 2021

Actually Kangaroo lands.. very easy to commit commercial fraud,,,the ASIC is useless,,,,,,,so investor beware

Conman in Aussie Land cheat Foreigners.. Guess the Race?

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