Jody and Corey Bridges lost half a million dollars to the scammers.
A group of “sophisticated” and “well-resourced” fraudsters are conning highly educated and financially savvy Australians out of their life savings by posing as investment arms from some of the country’s biggest banks.
Four victims cumulatively lost A$1.56 million, with most now facing financial ruin.
The scammers used legitimate business numbers confirmed by ASIC, employed receptionists to man phone lines, created complex website portals and paid back dividends to maintain the charade.
One man, Melbourne-based Andy*, was conned into handing over A$700,000 in March in the belief he was buying government bonds with an ANZ entity called Capel Court.
Also that month, Robert*, an accountant, gave away A$160,000 to the same investment group.
Another victim, Gold Coast former team manager Bardhold Blecken, transferred A$200,000 into a Barclays Bank term deposit that turned out to be fake. Blecken has no savings left; he and his wife must now subsist on the age pension.
And last month, news.com.au reported on NSW schoolteacher Jody Bridges and husband Corey who put A$500,000 they had made from a property sale into a so-called Capel Court bond scheme. Their funds – and the website – have since disappeared.
“They will do it again if they’re not behind bars, these guys are clever,” accountant Robert, in his late 40s, warned.
Andy, Jody and Robert all fell for the Capel Court fake bond website despite doing their due…
