Company behind Whitefox Recruitment wound up over debt to Coast direct debit company

A company behind a controversial recruitment firm has been wound up by a court over a six-figure debt – but the business has continued to trade from its Southport office.

A company behind a controversial recruitment firm has been wound up by a court over a six-figure debt – but the business has continued to trade from its Southport office.

Whitefox Recruitment is run by Luke Hemmings – who has also been known as Dene Broadbelt, Lucas Hemmings, Dene Musillon, Harrison O’Connor, Harrison Eyles, Nic Lloyd and Clay O’Connor – a former radio DJ and real estate agent who left a trail of debts around Australia.

Whitefox, which bills itself as “the Gold Coast’s leading multi-award winning recruitment agency”, took over the Facebook page and Google listing that had belonged to Mr Hemmings’s failed Canberra-based recruiting agency, Coceptive Recruitment, which went into liquidation owing $760,000 in 2021.

The liquidator of the company was investigating “potential illegal phoenix activity” in the wake of the collapse after a related company, Lambert Willcox Group, began using the Coceptive logo and business model.

A report from the liquidators said they would require funding from creditors to pursue the matter further and ASIC has not taken any action.

Luke Hemmings at his Southport office of Whitefox Recruitment. Picture Glenn Hampson

Lambert Willcox, solely directed by Mr Hemmings, was plunged into liquidation on December 7 after Supreme Court wind-up action by Ormeau-based business lender FSoft.

FSoft operates Biz Core, a service that facilitates customer direct debits on behalf of small businesses.

In his affidavit for the case, FSoft chief operating officer Dominic Balke said Lambert Willcox, then trading as Whitefox Recruitment Canberra, owed it $169,000.

Suzanne Musillon and her son Luke Hemmings, aka Dene Broadbelt.

Documents submitted to the court showed the funds were withdrawn in 15 transactions “by third parties” as direct debit refund claims, using Lambert Willcox’s account, in July this year.

Lambert Willcox did not file any response to the court application.

Mr Hemmings, who was once accused of faking his own death and falsely claiming he was an ambassador for high-profile charities, was also behind a music festival which never eventuated, posed as a well-connected talent agent and started a photography business which suppliers claimed dudded them out of time and money.

Mr Hemmings last month told the Gold Coast Bulletin he planned to “challenge” the wind-up action.

Asked about the prolific publicity around his previous ventures, Mr Hemmings denied any of it was true.

Earlier this year, Mr Hemmings used selfies with celebrities – including TV hosts and a PR queen – in a bizarre paid article about himself on a Canberra website.

But the media personalities – including high-profile ex-breakfast show hosts Samantha Armytage and David Koch and public relations executive Roxy Jacenko – say they don’t know him.