Credit card manufacturing equipment seized after raids on $6 million syndicate

Seven people have been arrested across Sydney and Melbourne in connection with a $6 million identity fraud syndicate.

The multi-agency Identity Security Strike Teams (ISST) executed 11 search warrants and seized manufacturing equipment and identity documents in raids yesterday.

It will be alleged in court that the principal of the syndicate, a 53-year-old Homebush Bay man is responsible for the manufacture and distribution of in excess of 200 fraudulent credit cards per week.

It is estimated that they were being used to purchase around $500,000 of goods per week.

The 53-year-old is alleged to have received credit card details from various sources overseas and on-forwarded the information to a 35-year-old Potts Point man, who allegedly produced fake credit cards as well as other identity documents.

The 53-year-old man then allegedly collected the credit cards and other identity documents he ordered and distributed them to supervisors to pass onto ‘shoppers’.

It will be alleged that the ‘shoppers’ were then directed as to what was to be purchased with the cards and received a percentage of the value of the items purchased with the fraudulent credit cards.

Goods believed to have been obtained through this scheme include electronic goods, gift cards, phone cards, alcohol and stamps.

The ISSTs have identified in excess of 1200 credit card numbers involved with this scheme since March 2009.

On 1 July 2009, search warrants were executed at 11 locations across Sydney and Melbourne.

The following people were arrested yesterday in Sydney:

• A 53-year-old Homebush Bay man
• A 35-year-old Potts Point man
• A 53-year-old Mortdale man
• A 45-year-old Smithfield man
• A 26-year-old Strathfield man

The men were charged with a range of Commonwealth and NSW offences, including dishonestly dealing in financial information, dealing in the proceeds of crime, participation in a criminal group, and making/using a false instrument. All were charged with conspiracy to cheat and defraud financial institutions.

The following people were arrested yesterday in Melbourne:

• A 28-year-old Doncaster woman
• A 35-year-old Blackburn North man

These two persons have been charged with dishonestly dealing in financial information, dealing in the proceeds of crime, and passport offences. Police are currently seeking the extradition of the 28-year-old woman to NSW, so that she can be charged with conspiracy to cheat and defraud financial institutions offences.

All of the people charged in Sydney are due to appear at Sydney Central Local Court today.

The man charged in Melbourne has been remanded in custody to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court on 10 July 2009.

The ISST is a multi-agency taskforce with members from the Australian Federal Police, NSW Police Force, Australian Crime Commission, NSW Crime Commission and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

The ISST operates from the AFP's Sydney office with teams also located in Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane. The teams investigate serious and complex identity security matters forming a collaborative network among law enforcement agencies to effectively deal with this crime.