CONVICTED FRAUDSTER A SUSPECT IN FEES SCAM Police check Coast conman over loans
CONVICTED Gold Coast fraudster Marius Anton Ackerman is in police sights again – this time they are investigating claims he used a fake identity and finance company to rip off businesses while on parole.
Ackerman was released on parole last year after serving four years in prison over a $1.1 million bogus GST refund scheme.
Police say they are now investigating complaints that he was using a false identity to defraud businesses by offering loans through Southport-based Citi Private Capital and Bundall-based Halcyon Capital One.
In one case, a businessman from Brisbane alleges a person, using the name Jarred Scott, reneged on a loan agreement but then registered a security against his industrial property, preventing him from refinancing the project.
The businessman says he is being blackmailed for $60,000 to have the caveat lifted.
Ackerman did not respond to multiple attempts for comment.
The Bulletin visited Citi Private’s office suite on level 10 of the Australia Fair office tower yesterday to find it empty.
Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Procter said: “Police have received numerous complaints and are investigating the allegations. As it is an open investigation, we can’t go into further details.”
A former mortgage broker, Ackerman arrived in Australia from South Africa in 2002.
In 2015, he was jailed for seven years for setting up three separate businesses and using them to engineer false claims for GST refunds.
His wife was listed as the sole director.
Ackerman was released last year after serving four years of his sentence.
In 2013, he was jailed for three-and-a-half years for scamming $110,000 from people who paid for British bulldog puppies but never received the prized pets.
The latest allegations involve a person called Jarred Scott presenting himself as a financier for business, real estate and investment loans through Citi Private Capital and Halcyon Capital One.
The businessman says he was introduced to Mr Scott from Citi Private Capital in April this year, via a broker, when he was seeking a loan for his industrial development west of Brisbane.
He had previously been approved by another finance company but this one backed out of the loan when COVID-19 hit.
He said a lot of people had gone to Citi Private “because they were lending money when no one else would” with competitive rates and a high LVR.
On April 19, Citi Private sent a loan offer for in excess of $5 million, signed by Jarred Scott. The businessman’s properties were listed as the security for the loan after paying $7500 in fees.
MY CLIENT PAID SOME FEES ... AND WAS PROMISED THE WORLD AND DID NOT GET AN ATLAS
BROKER MARK ELLACOTT
The offer was accepted but then Mr Scott kept finding reasons to delay settlement of the loan, it is alleged.
The businessman alleges that when he finally spoke to Mr Scott it clicked that something was wrong.
“He was always portrayed as Jarred Raymond Scott,” he said.
“We even did company searches and it didn’t ring true that he was born in Cairns and only 31 years of age. The guy I was talking to was obviously a lot older, more sophisticated, and spoke in a very, very broad South African accent.”
The Brisbane businessman alleges the man then acted to register an interest at the national security register, the PPSR, in his properties, even though the loan was not delivered. This prevented him from refinancing the project.
“It is all a front to gain fees,” he alleges.
“If you rock the boat like I have he has now put PPS charges on our company.
“He has also put a mortgage on the deed so no other lender will take over the loan.
“He wants in excess of $60,000 for a loan he did not deliver for him to take these off my deeds and company.”
The businessman later filed a complaint with police. Police are investigating whether Mr Scott is in fact Ackerman.
Brisbane broker Mark Ellacott alleges he has had two clients “ripped off” in a similar manner.
One from NSW sought a $790,000 loan from Citi Private and paid $5000 in fees but received no loan.
“My client paid some fees ... and was promised the world and did not get an atlas,” he said.
“It came to a point where my client had paid some fees and nothing happened and all of a sudden communication ceased and we couldn’t contact them.”
Another alleged victim is Yatala-based road works group Intelligent Infrastructure Solutions, which fell into voluntary administration in June. The company blamed COVID-19 at the time but the directors now say they were forced to make the move after engaging Citi Private Capital for a loan that was never delivered.
According to a complaint filed with police, i2S was referred to Citi Private and Jarred Scott by a broker. Loan documents were drawn up for $5 million and executed in February after the directors paid $15,000 in fees.
However, the directors allege settlement was repeatedly delayed. They claim their business, lacking cashflow, fell into administration.
“Once we became aware there was an alleged fraud we had no choice but to put the business into voluntary administration,’’ a director said.