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A 53-year-old woman who posed as a fortune teller and defrauded her victims of around 40 million euros has been arrested by Australian authorities.
The 53-year-old was arrested on Wednesday in the suburbs of Sydney, along with her 25-year-old daughter, who posed as a feng shui teacher (a practice based on the Chinese art of harmony).
The mother allegedly convinced her victims, mostly Vietnamese women, to take out loans, keeping a portion for herself, telling them she predicted a "billionaire" in their future.
Australia police arrest 'fortune teller' accused of running $46m scam
— Ashin HARILAL (@ashindevz0) November 13, 2025
A mother-and-daughter duo - one claiming to be a fortune teller and a feng shui master - have been charged over allegedly scamming almost A$70m ($46m; £35m) from "vulnerable" Vietnamese targets in Australia.… pic.twitter.com/lf7gvwid9c
The 53-year-old has been charged with 39 counts, including running a criminal organization and obtaining financial benefits by deception. Her daughter is charged with seven counts, including administering the proceeds of crime and participating in a criminal organization.
During the arrest at the multi-million dollar residence, police seized documents, mobile phones, luxury handbags, a 40 gram gold bar worth A$10,000 and A$6,600 in casino chips.
Authorities said the 53-year-old presented herself as a prominent member of her community and, as a "fortune teller," gave advice to clients, some of whom told her they were facing financial difficulties.
The 53-year-old then predicted that a billionaire would come to their aid and that it would "happen soon" if they took out a loan.
According to an investigation by the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH), the mother and daughter are linked to the so-called "Penthouse Syndicate", a criminal organisation that defrauded major Australian banks of A$250 million (£141 million) with the help of bank employees who approved loans to help purchase numerous properties in Sydney.
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