Parramatta couple Aayush Bhattarai and Neha Giri charged after alleged scam
A couple will remain behind bars on remand after allegedly stealing thousands of dollars as part of an international fraud syndicate targeting the elderly across Sydney.
Parramatta
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A Parramatta couple will remain behind bars after allegedly posing as bank employees to steal thousands of dollars from residents in Telopea, Frenchs Forest and Wakeley as part of a syndicate operating from India.
Nepalese nationals Neha Giri, 22, and her boyfriend Aayush Bhattarai, 19, were charged after an 85-year-old Telopea woman told Cumberland police she had received a call from someone posing as a bank worker.
Court documents stated the woman’s account had been compromised and she needed to open another account and was instructed to provide $3000 cash to a courier who would visit her Telopea home.
Police said the woman reported the matter to them after she allegedly fielded more calls from syndicate members who told her she would be required to shell out another $5000 in cash that a “courier” would collect on June 22.
Cumberland detectives uncovered a sophisticated fraud syndicate operating from India with Australian-based members collecting cash before electronically transferring the funds overseas.
The pair was arrested outside the Telopea home about 4.30pm on Monday when police allege they visited the property to steal the cash.
They were then taken to Granville police station and each charged with five counts of dishonestly obtaining property by deception and three counts of knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime.
At Parramatta Local Court on Tuesday, the pair’s legal aid lawyer did not apply for bail, telling Magistrate Robyn Denes there were a series of strictly indictable offences against the co-accused.
Giri appeared briefly via video link but Bhattarai was not required to appear from his custody cell.
Court documents allege more victims were identified over the weekend when they told police they had received similar phone calls from people purporting to be from their financial institution and requested either cash or “compromised bank cards” be provided to a courier.
Court papers state Giri and Bhattarai were also charged with dishonestly obtaining property by deception on May 20 when they allegedly posed as bank employees to obtain four bank cards belonging to a Frenchs Forest couple.
The documents also allege the pair stole three bank cards from a Wakeley woman on June 20 when they posed as bank employees and later stole $4914 “knowing it was proceeds of crime”.
A Nepalese interpreter was requested for August 20 when the matter will return to court.
Investigations are continuing and anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.