International conman Zsolt Kenyeres stole $1.6m, duped champion motor racing drivers
A conman wanted for embezzlement in Hungary claimed to be a secret agent and managed to scam two unsuspecting Aussie motor racing champions out of almost $150,000. This is how the fraudster rorted them in his web of deceit and scandal.
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An international conman who claimed to be a Hungarian secret agent infiltrated the Australian motor racing industry, dragging a five-time Bathurst champion into his twisted world of lies and scandals.
Zsolt Kenyeres — known in motorsport circles as George Kenyeres — backed Bathurst champ Steve Richards and employed top driver Alex Davison to race for him.
Kenyeres used his shonky company, President Limo Australia, to back both drivers during the 2017 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship.
Kenyeres also financially backed Richards in the 2017 Australian GT Championships.
However, the Black Rock motor enthusiast left both men high and dry — he owes Richards $100,000 and Davison $40,000 — before disappearing.
Davison said he wasn’t “holding his breath” on regaining his money.
“I knew George as someone who had been around the motor racing paddock for a couple of years who you would say hello to and who was passionate about motorsport,” Davison said.
“He bailed me up at the Gold Coast to see if I wanted to drive for his team and I said yes, I had nothing to lose.
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“I’ve been around this game a long time and you can smell when something isn’t quite right and with George there was nothing untoward other than I thought he was a bit out of his league.
“I wondered where the money was coming from because he was throwing a lot around not just on his team but other sponsorships.”
Davison nor Richards had any clue the man they dealt with was a conman wanted for embezzlement in Hungary.
The money Kenyeres used to fund his motorsport jaunt came from more than $1.6 million he ripped off Melbourne businessmen.
He convinced his victims to hand over large amounts of cash for a dodgy car part import scheme and exclusive rights to purchase limited edition Porsches.
All the transactions were bogus and none of the victims got their money back.
Kenyeres met his victims through President Limo Australia and another company, Price Pressure Australia, of which he was director.
He used high-end locations and events such as the exclusive Porsche Grand Prix pit areas to dazzle his intended marks.
He would also use fake bank balances to make his targets believe he was much wealthier than he was.
The con ran from October, 2016 until March, 2018 when Hungary put in an extradition request for Kenyeres over outstanding fraud charges.
Kenyeres is in custody awaiting sentence after he pleaded guilty in the County Court on July 19 to several counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception.
The extradition proceedings have been postponed until he is dealt with in Victoria.
Kenyeres also claimed to be a special agent of the Intelligence Agency of Hungary.
He tried to seek asylum in the United States in the early 2000s but eventually washed up to Australia in 2007, where he has since lived on a tourist visa.
Conditions of the visa included he was not allowed to work or study.
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