Md Mostofa Tareque fronts Picton Local Court after collecting money from elderly scam victims

An 81-year-old victim was scammed into handing over $24,000 to a southwest Sydney disability worker. She was not the only victim.

A former southwest Sydney disability worker collected thousands of dollars from elderly people duped by a scam.

Md Mostofa Tareque, of Bankstown, appeared at Picton Local Court on Wednesday morning where he pleaded guilty to six counts of dealing with property proceeds of crime and one count of attempt to deal with property proceeds of crime.

After the 37-year-old entered the pleas, the prosecution withdrew the eight original charges laid that included obtain property by deception.

Court documents revealed that Tareque collected money from four victims, some more than once after they had been subjected to scam calls from an unknown man or men.

The victims included a 68-year-old woman from Dulwich Hill, an 83-year-old woman from Mosman, an 81-year-old female from Harrington Park, and an 80-year-old male from Moss Vale.

Police facts said that on one occasion, an 81-year-old Macarthur woman was contacted by a direct message on social media, by a person claiming to be Agent Pat Rusch.

The next day, the Harrington Park resident was called by an unknown man claiming to be Sam from the Australian Federal Police who demanded the victim to pay money to avoid arrest.

Over the following days, she received constant telephone calls so the victim, fearing arrest, complied and provided personal identification.

Then on September 9, 2021 she went to Macarthur Square and withdrew $9000 from her pensioner advantage account.

She was called again by Sam who said he would arrange for an officer to get the cash. A couple of hours later, Tareque arrived and collected the cash.

The victim was targeted a second time and she handed over $15,000 to Tareque. On the third occasion, bank staff contacted police due to their suspicions and Tareque was arrested before he could collect another $15,000.

In a letter submitted to the magistrate Tareque expressed his “sincerest apologies” for his actions.

“I should have known better,” he wrote.

“I was arrested and this was broadcasted in the news channel which was humiliating for me because I didn’t know I was being sent to collect scammed money.

“I should have thought more carefully about what I was being sent to do.”

In court on Wednesday, Tareque’s lawyer said his client was reckless and “should have known better”.

“He should have been wiser about this situation,” the lawyer told the court.

“He profited very little…only retained two to three per cent commission.”

The lawyer said Tareque believed he was doing honest work, and had lost his job as a disability support worker due to the charges.

He said Tareque supported his wife who was ill and also two young children.

The police prosecutor said he committed the offences for financial gain and “provided false names and behaved secretly”.

“The recognition of the harm done to the victims has to be accounted for as well,” she said.

“The accused actually went to the homes of the elderly victims. That’s a place where they should feel safe.”

Magistrate Michael O’Brien said he would be considering a custodial sentence to be served in the community and ordered a sentencing assessment report.

The matter will be finalised at Wollongong Court on May 31.