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A scammer has allegedly posed as a construction contractor to defraud the Northern Territory government.
A 38-year-old man from the Sydney suburb of Lurnea appeared in Liverpool Local Court on 24 July after being charged with allegedly defrauding a Northern Territory government agency out of $3,583,363 in November 2024.
The scammer posed as a legitimate contractor who had done work with the agency prior, providing a completed vendor identification, a registered business, and a link to what appeared to be the company’s website, as well as bank account details.
However, the site was fake, despite mimicking the legitimate business.
The alleged fraud was reported to the bank in question, which, in turn, referred the matter to the Australian Federal Police. The phone number provided for the fake business eventually led police to the alleged perpetrator. A search warrant was executed at the man’s home, where electronic devices and documentation linked to the business registered by the man were seized.
“In the 2023–2024 financial year, business email compromise and fraud were among the most common self-reported cyber crimes for small, medium and large businesses and individuals in Australia*,” AFP Detective Superintendent Marie Andersson said in a 27 July statement.
“It is crucial to double-check emails, particularly if there is a request for a change in banking details. Call the party you are engaged with to confirm the request is legitimate – and use a phone number that you’ve previously used or independently verified – don’t call a number in the suspicious email.
“If you have fallen victim, report it immediately to your bank and the police to give us the best chance of recovering your money.”
Police allege that the man accessed the allegedly stolen funds several times before his arrest, though most of the funds were recovered.
“As a result of quick action and preventative measures undertaken by the bank involved, $3,571,760 of the allegedly stolen money was recovered,” Superintendent Andersson said.
Milan Gigovic, ANZ’s head of financial crime threat management, added that ANZ was dedicated to keeping its customers safe.
“Business email compromise (BEC) and impersonation fraud are rapidly evolving and sophisticated scams that exploit the trust between businesses, their partners, and customers,” Gigovic said.
“In response to this growing threat, ANZ’s financial crime team is proactively collaborating with industry, government, and law enforcement agencies – including the Australian Federal Police’s JPC3 team – to detect and stop these scams before they cause harm.
“Together, we are strengthening our defences, preventing fraudulent payments and protecting Australian businesses.”
The man was charged with one count of dealing with proceeds of crime, money worth $1,000,000 or more, which has a maximum penalty of 12 years in prison.
What to do if you think you’ve been scammed
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
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