Fake builder Najy ‘Mark’ Rayes fined in County Court over $108k landscaping scam
A fake builder from Cranbourne who pocketed more than $108,000 in a fraudulent renovation and landscaping scheme has continued to run his business using a legal loophole.
South East
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A fake builder from Cranbourne who pocketed more than $108,000 in a fraudulent renovation and landscaping scheme has continued to run his business using a legal loophole.
Cranbourne man Najy ‘Mark’ Rayes, 46, fronted the County Court on March 6 to be sentenced after swindling $108,568.75 from seven victims in a fake building racket.
In February, the court heard Rayes — who is the sole director of Melbourne Landscape Design — offered services including paving, driveways, painting, demolition, building steps fences and gates.
During two investigations by Consumer Affairs in 2023, the Victorian Building Authority confirmed Rayes was not and had never been a registered builder.
The court heard Rayes took thousands of dollars from victims for unfinished and defective work, much of which required rectification over an 18-month period between March 2021 and December 2023.
Despite his con being exposed, Rayes has continued to run his business, having dropped the renovation side and only offering landscaping service.
During his brazen offending, Rayes was “volatile” and “aggressive” towards customers, where in one incident, a victim said he was “shouting and flaring his volatile temper” towards her.
The woman had been dealing with Rayes alone and suspected he was being “discriminatory towards women” and had made “racist remarks”.
She attempted to enlist the help of a male friend, however Rayes refused to speak with him, later verbally abusing her, saying “don’t run around being a rat, a dirty rat of Glen Iris”.
Rayes carried out his shady scam by first fooling victims through quotes for jobs, adding on extra — often unnecessary — work, beginning the job and leaving gardens undone or half demolished, then later ghosting the homeowners when they tried to contact him.
One victim said he had become “pushy” and “made her feel like she had to agree” after removing her fence without consent.
The court heard Rayes had since “turned to God” and “began every day with meditation”.
On Thursday, Judge Trevor Wraight said Rayes showed “little evidence of remorse” for his victims, despite his plea of guilty.
“In 2023 and 2024 VCAT made orders against you in relation to three of the victims,” Justice Wraight said.
“You haven’t paid a cent back.”
Justice Wraight said Rayes had a “guarded” chance of rehabilitation, given his prior offending included similar charges, which had earned him time behind bars.
Rayes was fined $16,000 with conviction for his scam.
