Tuan Chau jailed for multiple counts of identity fraud and money laundering

A scammer used a popular employment website to steal identities of hopeful applicants to defraud close to $100k. Find out how he did it.

The mastermind behind an employment scam tricked hopeful applicants into providing personal details to defraud thousands of dollars, a court heard.

However, Tuan Chau, 46, is already eligible for parole after he stole multiple identities to obtain credit cards and open bank accounts.

During sentencing, the District Court heard Chau was the “architect” of the sophisticated fraud scheme between October 2018 and January 2021.

The court heard illegitimate employment advertisements with various Australian companies were placed onto websites such as Seek.com.

When applicants applied they provided personal information such as driver’s licence, passport and Medicare details.

Tuan Chau was jailed for multiple counts of identity fraud and money laundering. Photo: AAP Image/Lukas Coch

“The applicants never heard back from their would-be employers,” Judge Anthony Allen said.

“The applicants, however, did become aware that persons unknown to them had assumed their identities and that bank accounts and credit cards had been obtained in their names.”

Police commenced an investigation which led them to the fraudulent job advertisements and eventually tracked Chau down.

The amount of credit Chau wrongly obtained from various banking institutions was $80,500.

The total amount of credit which became available to Chau as a consequence of the money laundering charges was $121,400.

Chau also used a victim’s personal identification information to open a post office box at the Walkerville Post Office and banked a $14,200 cheque that belonged to a university student.

Chau, of Manningham, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of dishonest dealings with documents, possessing prohibited material and money laundering.

The court heard Chau was given a suspended sentence in 2006 for dishonestly dealing with documents which he committed while working at a bank.

“You are fortunate to have been offered an opportunity to reform following that offending,” Judge Allen said.

“Clearly, you did not take that opportunity.

“Regrettably, you have used your obvious intelligence and the knowledge that you obtained during the course of your employment with the bank to commit the offences before the court.”

The court heard Chau, who was born in Vietnam, became addicted to methamphetamine, which in part motivated his offending.

Judge Allen said Chau’s offending had an adverse impact on the victim’s credit ratings, which would have no doubt been stressful and upsetting.

He sentenced Chau to five years jail, with a non-parole period of three years and three months.

The sentence was backdated to January 29, 2021, meaning Chau can apply for parole.