Serial conman Peter Foster ‘claimed he lost victim’s fortune betting against Novak Djokovic’
Conman Peter Foster allegedly claimed he lost his victim’s money betting against Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open.
Serial conman Peter Foster allegedly claimed he lost his victim’s money betting against raging favourite Novak Djokovic in the final of last year’s Australian Open.
Foster, whose history of scams spans continents and decades, is being hunted across multiple states for allegedly defrauding a Hong Kong pilot of $2 million in bitcoin in a gambling scheme, Sport Predictions.
The pilot, Konstantinos Stylianopoulos, had watched as his money at first appeared to soar on the back of successful wagers on sporting events, it is alleged.
All the while, he was allegedly dealing with a man he knew as Bill Dawson, who was actually Foster using a friend’s name as an alias.
The Australian can reveal it is alleged the elaborate sting was well under way when Foster, posing as Dawson, invited Mr Stylianopoulos to Melbourne so they could meet for the first time. Yet when Mr Stylianopoulos arrived in Australia last January, “Dawson” wasn’t there, allegedly saying he had to travel overseas at the last minute to deal with an urgent problem with a trader in Estonia.
In his absence, Foster, posing as Dawson, is alleged to have hired an event management company to lay on the VIP treatment for the visitor and some of his friends.
Mr Stylianopoulos was picked up in a taxi at the airport, wined and dined in Melbourne and given expensive tickets to the finals of the tennis. Later, he would conclude, it was all paid for with his own money.
On February 1, Mr Stylianopoulos seemingly had every reason to celebrate in the packed stands at the women’s final when American Sofia Kenin, whom Sport Predictions was backing to win, defeated favourite Garbine Muguruza.
Mr Stylianopoulos was back at Rod Laver Arena the next day for the men’s final. Foster, posing as Dawson, allegedly claimed he had inside information about Djokovic that warranted a huge plunge against him but Djokovic defeated No 5 seed Dominic Thiem to win his eighth Australian Open singles title with a horrified Mr Stylianopoulos watching on.
Police allege bets purported to have been made through the gambling scheme never occurred and that the money was pocketed by Foster, who despite being an undischarged bankrupt was living in a Gold Coast waterfront mansion and driving a Bentley convertible, with a Rolls-Royce in the garage.
Mr Stylianopoulos alleges he told “Dawson” to stop betting but that he replied it didn’t work that way and “traders” had to get paid.
NSW prosecutors last month withdrew fraud charges against Foster, telling Mr Stylianopoulos the conman should have been charged in Queensland where he was based.
The same day, Foster disappeared from his lawyer’s office, failed to appear in court and is believed to have tampered with the GPS tracking device he was ordered to wear to secure bail.
Queensland police have warrants out for his arrest over the alleged scam but have been unable to find him.
Mr Stylianopoulos, 54, this week said Foster, 58, should never have been able to disappear and he would keep offending until he was jailed.
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