Consumer Affairs Victoria awarded right to pursue civil action against cancer con artist Belle Gibson
CANCER faker Belle Gibson was absent from court as the consumer watchdog was given the green light to pursue action against her for more than $1 million in fines.
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CANCER con artist Belle Gibson is facing more than $1 million in fines with the consumer watchdog given the green light to pursue her in court.
The confessed charlatan didn’t turn up for at court today for an application by Consumer Affairs Victoria to take the civil action.
She has defiantly declared she would escape punishment over the false claims of her miracle cancer recovery.
But Federal Court registrar Phillip Allaway granted leave for CAV to pursue the civil action that comes after a 14-month investigation.
CAV is pursuing Gibson’s company Inkerman Road Nominees Pty Ltd, formerly known as Belle Gibson Pty Ltd, for false and misleading conduct.
It means Gibson will almost certainly be called to testify about the scam that helped her build a wellness empire.
CAV has found Gibson breached Australian Consumer Law by not only faking her cancer diagnosis, but saying she had cured it through nutrition and a holistic lifestyle to market her wellness empire.
CAV also found she had allegedly not passed on up to $300,000 in promised donations to charities via the sale of her health and wellness app.
The Whole Pantry poster girl promoted herself as a lifestyle guru and sold thousands of cancer sufferers and their families on the myth she recovered from the deadly disease by eating whole foods.
She was exposed last year after several charities confirmed they had failed to receive promised donations of about $300,000.
She is alleged to have solicited donations from her more than 200,000 online followers for at least five charities, including Melbourne-based charity One Girl, which runs education programs in Sierra Leone (which confirmed it received $1000 in March).
Four, including Melbourne’s Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, had no knowledge fundraisers had taken place on their behalf.
Gibson has since claimed donations were being held by her company but had not been forwarded because the firm’s finances were “a mess”.
- with AAP