Details of Peter Foster’s alleged scam revealed
As Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem slugged it out during an Australian Open final, one man thought he was about to pocket a fortune. But instead he allegedly lost $1.4 million thanks to infamous conman’s Peter Foster latest alleged scam.
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An alleged victim of infamous conman Peter Foster sat through the Australian Open final thinking he was about to trouser a fortune but wound up losing $1.4 million.
As Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem slugged out the showdown, the international visitor watched courtside thinking his investment would be multiplied many times over by an elaborate system of bets allegedly made by Foster’s company Sport Predictions.
Meanwhile, the shyster – arrested this week in far north Queensland – was allegedly already making his next move.
In a series of messages, Foster would later allegedly explain to the victim how he was the victim of wretched luck and that the money he invested had been lost to a technology foul-up.
Prosecutors will allege the truth was that there were no bets.
Days earlier, the tourist had flown into Melbourne on an international flight to join other mates who had invested in the scheme.
He was collected at Melbourne Airport by a hired model then chauffeured in a Mercedes-Benz to town.
Foster is alleged to have lured him in using a false name and arranged to meet under that identity in coming days.
The rendezvous was cancelled at the last minute.
The alleged victim is thought to have first nibbled Foster’s hook after seeing his remarkably professional Sport Predictions website.
Foster allegedly later dropped more bait with promises of an 80-fold return, via an Estonian exchange, on an elaborate tennis “trade”.
Private investigator Ken Gamble told the Sunday Herald Sun that it seemed like Foster used the time-honoured tactic of expressing doubts he could find a place for the investor, before finally getting him into the scheme.
Mr Gamble – who tracked Foster to Port Douglas – said his quarry was suspected of using that victim’s money to buy a luxury motor yacht before being arrested.
Foster once described himself as an international man of mischief.
His gift of the gab was strong enough to win the affection of English page-three girl Samantha Fox at the height of her fame.
Foster was arrested by police on Thursday north of Port Douglas.
He was jailed in 2019 for 18 months after making $30 million from another sports betting scheme.
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