Influencer Lachie Porter pleads guilty to Facebook Marketplace fraud

A popular Sunshine Coast Instagram and TikTok user who regularly posts about his outdoor jaunts must pay back his victim after duping her out of an iPhone he never sent.

Lachie Porter leaving Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Friday. Picture: Sam Turner

A Mooloolaba influencer who has thousands of followers on social media has been involved in a grubby online fraud.

Maroochydore Magistrates Court heard Lachie Porter swindled a Northern Rivers woman out of almost $200 through a Facebook Marketplace deal over an Apple iPhone 12.

Police prosecutor Jeanette Grigoris said the 20-year-old, who has more than 7000 followers on Instagram and 23,000 on TikTok, spoke to the prospective buyer after he advertised the mobile device on May 14, 2023.

Sergeant Grigoris said it was on sale for $400 however he agreed to sell the phone to the woman for $370 and post it to her at East Ballina in northern NSW.

The woman offered to pay $185 upfront for the iPhone and would transfer the rest once she received it.

After sending the funds through a bank transfer she messaged Porter to say it was completed and he replied “thank you”.

Sergeant Grigoris said Porter then removed the online advertisement and failed to post the phone.

Lachie Porter regularly posts about the outdoors and overseas holidays on his social media accounts. Picture: Instagram

The court heard the victim made multiple attempts to contact the Mooloolaba man however her messages were blocked.

She contacted police who got in touch with Commonwealth bank to inquire about details on the initial transfer which showed he had received the money.

Officers spoke to Porter on July 3 this year, who said he did not think he received the money from the victim and sold the iPhone to someone else.

When he was shown the bank transfer which depicted the woman’s transfer to Porter, he had no answer other than to say it was “wrong” for what he did.

Duty lawyer Cherisse Breese said she was instructed when Porter removed the ad following the phone’s sale it deleted the messages, however the apprentice admitted he should’ve tried harder to contact the victim.

Ms Breese said the Mooloolaba man was remorseful and had not committed any offences since being sentenced in September last year.

Porter previously pleaded guilty to a separate charge of fraud and was placed on a recognisance order with no conviction recorded.

Magistrate Kurt Fowler said the 20-year-old needed to stop committing these swindles as he was “not very good” at it.

Porter pleaded guilty to fraud by dishonestly gaining a benefit and was fined $350. He must also pay $185 compensation to the victim.

No conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Influencer Lachie Porter pleads guilty to Facebook Marketplace fraud