A self-proclaimed fortune-teller and feng shui master has been arrested for allegedly playing a central role in one of the largest financial fraud operations in Australian history, according to police.
New South Wales police on Wednesday arrested 53-year-old Anya Phan and her 25-year-old daughter, Thi Ta, during a raid at their Dover Heights home, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
Detectives alleged the older woman played a key role in orchestrating more than A$70m (£35m) in fraudulent activity, exploiting her standing within Sydney’s Vietnamese community to recruit participants for the scheme that the Sydney Morning Herald dubbed as the “Penthouse Syndicate”.
During the raid, officers seized luxury handbags, electronics, financial records, mobile phones, a 40-gram gold bar valued at A$10,000 (£5,000), and A$6,600 (£3,300) worth of casino chips.
Police alleged that Ms Phan persuaded vulnerable members of the community to take out large financial loans while keeping a share of the loans for herself.
Investigators alleged she preyed on their trust by claiming to foresee their rise to wealth, telling clients they would “become billionaires”, and using her image as a spiritual adviser to reinforce the deception.
Police added that an extra A$15m in assets was frozen during Wednesday’s operation, bringing the total value of seized property linked to the syndicate to A$75m.
Detective Superintendent Gordon Arbinja, head of the financial crimes squad, said Ms Phan was trusted and influential within her community, but used that influence to exploit others.
“The 53-year-old has claimed to be a feng shui master and fortune-teller who convinced these vulnerable people to become a mule in the criminal syndicate where they would receive an amount of money, and each time she convinced these people to do these loans, she would pocket at least $150,000 herself,” Mr Arbinja alleged.
“What is also alarming is that this woman was trusted within her community. She arrived in Australia in 2001 and soon after became an Australian citizen.
“She has not worked during this time … The repayments on the Dover Heights address alone were $56,000 a month, yet she was receiving disability support payments for over 20 years and was a VIP customer at a Sydney-based casino.
“We [allege] that she has at least laundered over $520,000 in a two-month period alone at this Sydney-based casino. She’s a high roller and very influential amongst her community,” Mr Arbinja said.
Her daughter is accused of helping facilitate the scheme, allegedly purchasing a A$5.3m property in Rose Bay on behalf of the syndicate.
Both women were taken to Surry Hills Police Station following their arrests.
Ms Phan was later charged with 39 offences, including directing the activities of a criminal group, dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, and dealing with the proceeds of crime.
Her daughter faces multiple related charges and was granted conditional bail to appear in court in January.
The arrests come amid a widening investigation under Strike Force Myddleton, a task force established to probe financial crimes linked to Sydney’s luxury car and property sectors. What began as a probe into fraudulent “ghost car” purchases – loans taken out for vehicles that never existed – has evolved into a massive investigation spanning multiple banks and business fronts.
“What began as an investigation into fraudulent car financing has expanded into uncovering one of the most sophisticated financial crime syndicates I have seen in my career,” Mr Arbinja said.
“Our detectives have worked tirelessly to uncover a network that has not only targeted financial institutions but also manipulated vulnerable individuals for personal gain.”
Police say the so-called Penthouse Syndicate’s reach extends far beyond car financing, implicating corrupt bank employees, mortgage brokers, solicitors, and real estate agents in a sprawling network of financial deception.
More than a dozen suspects have already been charged with offences ranging from fraud to money laundering in what authorities describe as one of Australia’s largest financial crime cases.
Police say further arrests are expected as investigators turn their attention to the syndicate’s “professional facilitators”, including lawyers, accountants, and property developers.
