Fraud syndicate accused of targeting Telstra and big banks

Telstra and some of the nation’s biggest banks have been targeted by an alleged fraud syndicate, which has been accused of conspiring to defraud almost $2 million along with hundreds of mobile phones.

Detectives from the financial crime squad charged six men and a woman over the alleged fraud spree, which used fake identification and falsified financial records to obtain personal loans, credit facilities and at least one mortgage from banks, including ANZ, NAB and Westpac.

ANZ was among the institutions allegedly targeted.Credit:Justin McManus

Fraudulent documents were also allegedly used to obtain about 215 mobile phones, long-term contracts and 51 prepaid SIM cards from Telstra stores at an estimated value of almost $520,000.

Police seized equipment allegedly used to make fraudulent documents, including computers, printers, scanners, an embossing machine, blank plastic cards and laminating pouches, according to charge sheets obtained by The Age. Driver licences and Medicare cards belonging to people in NSW and Queensland were also found during the investigation.

Samir Mustum, 48, has been charged with 63 offences, including dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception, when he allegedly provided fraudulent documents to support a mortgage application for $607,500 in March 2019.

Mr Mustum is accused in court documents of offending between April 2016 and July 2021.

His wife, Blerina Mustum, 43, was charged with five offences, including dealing in $150,000 in cash that is suspected to be the proceeds of crime, while their son, Mostafa Mustum, 21, faces 14 charges.

Accountant Con Michaels, 58, has been charged with 18 offences, and Rony Mallouk, 33, faces 23 charges. Both men are accused in court documents of conspiring with Mr Mustum to defraud several financial institutions by providing false identification or financial information to support applications for credit cards, credit facilities or personal loans.

Zafer Rafie, 45, has been charged with four offences, while Walid Harrouk, 58, faces two charges that include dealing in $339,955 that is suspected of being the proceeds of crime.

The seven accused appeared before the Melbourne Magistrates Court on December 16 and will face court again on February 22 next year.

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