News

Former Wollongong real estate agent charged with fraud

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

A former Wollongong real estate agent has been charged with multiple forgery, fraud and misappropriating offences.

Detectives from Lake Illawarra Police District, with the assistance of the Office of Fair Trading, commenced an investigation into the 53-year-old man following a complaint received in relation to the theft of funds.

Police allege between December 2017 and June 2018 the man made and submitted false documents to a business that provides real estate agents their entitled commissions up front.

The false documents included photoshopped emails and letterheads from solicitors and conveyancers located in the Illawarra, fabricated contracts of sales and agency agreements, false bank deposits and false signatures.

The documents were allegedly submitted on more than 12 occasions over the seven-month period, resulting in a financial advantage of $263,755.

The investigation revealed the man had also allegedly misappropriated more than $200,000 in funds from a sales trust account.

The 53-year-old man was arrested at Lake Illawarra Police Station and charged with 12 counts of forgery, 12 counts of fraud and three counts of fraudulent conversion of money.

He was granted strict conditional bail and is due to face Wollongong Local Court on 5 November 2019.