Thao Thi Phung Tran sentenced for stealing more than 10 identities, $280,000 in credit card fraud

Nearly 200 crimes and more than 14 victims of identity theft and deception have been left in the wake of this Adelaide woman’s $280,000 fraud.

A woman has gone on a rampage of identity theft in Adelaide while stealing packages from doorsteps – and has confessed to a list of more than 180 crimes.

Thao Thi Phung Tran, 29, was sentenced in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court in August after pleading guilty to 20 dishonesty offences, defrauding more than $280,000 from banks and assuming the identities of more than 10 people,

In just published remarks by Magistrate Karim Soetratma, the court heard Tran had pleaded guilty to each of the 20 charges, and supplied a detailed list of 166 additional offences she committed over two years – some while on bail.

Thao Thi Phung Tran defrauded more than $280,000 and stole the identities of more than 10 people over the course of two years. Picture: Istock

The court heard Tran had stolen identities with the help of her then partner, the information was sourced from false job listings on both Seek.com and Indeed.com that sought driver’s licences, passports, Medicare card numbers and more from “applicants”.

Through the use of multiple identities, the Ferryden Park woman opened up to a million dollars worth of credit, and spent $282,556 of Westpac and BankWest’s money.

Tran also stole parcels from front doorsteps, including three infant car seats, a box of prescription medication and a box of women’s clothing.

She used a false identity to secure a rental property in Collinswood in March 2018, had equipment to print fake driver’s licences while living in Brompton, and used illegally obtained credit cards to purchase clothing for herself.

Tran submitted a list to the court of 166 additional offences she committed but had not been charged for. Picture: Istock

The mother of two was repeatedly arrested for crimes while she offended between March 2018 and April 2020, and absconded while on home detention bail twice.

Tran was arrested in New South Wales after being on the run for more than two years after cutting her home detention bracelet off in January 2021.

During sentencing, Mr Soetratma said Tran’s offending was “protracted, systematic and persistent” and the impact left on her victims would be “long lasting” as they tried to clear their names and credit histories.

Casey Isaacs for Tran submitted his client was “remorseful” for what she had done, and wanted to live a normal life and be a “positive role model” for her two children not in her care.

Mr Soetratma sentenced Tran to one year, nine months and six days imprisonment with a non-parole period of four months and ten days after subtracting her one year, eight months, three weeks and four days spent in custody.

Originally published as Thao Thi Phung Tran sentenced for stealing more than 10 identities, $280,000 in credit card fraud