Belle Gibson’s home raided by sheriff over cancer fraud fine
Victorian sheriff’s office seizes items from former wellness blogger’s home to regain $500k in unpaid fines.
A property linked to cancer fraudster Belle Gibson has been raided by Victoria’s Sheriff’s Office in a bid to recoup more than $500,000 of unpaid fines and penalties.
A warrant was executed on Gibson’s Northcote home on Wednesday, according to Consumer Affairs Victoria, more than two years after she was convicted and fined over claiming to have cured herself of brain cancer through diet, exercise and alternative therapies.
It later emerged that she never had the disease.
Despite the former wellness blogger and cook book author reaping hundreds of thousands of dollars from the social media business she built around her personal story, including her popular Whole Pantry lifestyle app, she has so far refused to pay the fine.
“Consumer Affairs Victoria is committed to recovering the debt Ms Gibson owes the Victorian public and will continue to pursue [her] until it is repaid in full,” said a spokeswoman for the agency.
She said the warrant covered the seizure and subsequent sale of items belonging to Gibson. It is understood that seized items will be auctioned at a later date.
Gibson was convicted of five breaches of consumer law, including misleading and deceptive conduct, in the Federal Court in early 2017 and was fined $410,000. Including costs and interest, she now owes more than a half a million dollars.
The 28-year-old was last year ordered to appear before the court to explain why she had yet to pay the penalty.
And despite the court hearing details of her lavish spending habits, Gibson claimed she was “not in a position to pay a $410,000 fine at this stage”.
Analysis by lawyers for Consumer Affairs Victoria revealed that between 2017 and 2019 she spent $91,000, including $13,000 on clothing, accessories and cosmetics, and enjoyed holidays in Bail and Africa.
She has previously been warned that she could face jail faces jail if she did not pay.
Additional reporting: AAP
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