A 52-year-old man has been charged with 23 fraud offences as part of a protracted investigation by the Crime and Intelligence Command's Financial and Cyber Crime Group.
The man was arrested February 17 in Sydney after Queensland Police, with assistance from New South Wales Police, executed a search warrant on a Harris Park address.
Electronic devices and documentation were seized during the search.
Operation Romeo Avid was launched in 2017 after police received multiple complaints relating to two Queensland-based migration services — Global Skills and Business Services (Global Skills) and Specialised Resources Pty Ltd (Specialised Resources) — defrauding customers between April 1 2015 and November 17 2017.
Police will allege the man was the director of these two companies at the time and targeted migrant visa holders in Queensland, offering to find them sponsored jobs as a pathway to permanent residency.
Police will further allege he charged significant fees to victims - between $25,000 and $45,000 each - for services he did not deliver. To date 23 victims have made complaints to police, with the value of the fraud calculated at $799,000.
Detective Acting Inspector Adam Bennett of the Financial and Cyber Crime Group said the nature of the alleged offending was concerning.
"Investigations have identified these jobs did not exist as advertised, if at all. It will be alleged the offender took several measures, including falsifying documents and operating from a professional city office, to legitimise his fraudulent activity to victims.
"As the outcome to this complex investigation highlights, Queensland Police takes this offending seriously and we will hold those to account who breach positions of trust.
"When it comes to financial and legal matters, it is important to take a step back and seek independent advice, with information on migration and registered migration agents available on the Australian Border Force website," Detective Acting Inspector Bennett said.
The man was charged with 19 Counts of Fraud - Dishonestly induce delivery of property exceeding $30,000 and four counts of Fraud - Dishonestly induce delivery of property. He is due to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court this afternoon.
The Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) urges consumers who require immigration assistance to check the publicly available online Register of Registered Migration Agents (RMAs) https://www.mara.gov.au before paying for the services of a migration agent.
Learn more about scams at www.scamwatch.gov.au and R U In Control.
If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24hrs per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting.
You can report information about crime anonymously to Crime Stoppers, a registered charity and community volunteer organisation, via crimestoppersqld.com.au 24hrs per day.
