A 48 year old Camperdown man facing 75 fraud related charges will appear again in Central Local Court on the 4th of March.
Police allege the man opened a large number of bank accounts under false names using false identification.
It is also alleged the man sent a number of fraudulent transfers to financial institutions, successfully obtaining over $630,000.
The man was arrested on 25 November last year while leaving a financial institution in Martin Place. At the time of his arrest he was allegedly in possession of five fraudulent passports, $1400 in cash and a fraudulent debit card.
He was initially charged with seven fraud offences. Investigation by City Central detectives in conjunction with bank investigators revealed further alleged offences committed between 30 June and 25 November 2009.
When the man faced Central Local Court on 22 January he was charged with an additional 68 offences, including 32 counts of “use false instrument with intent”, 21 counts of “open account with a cash dealer in a false name” and 15 counts of “make false instrument with intent”.
The Australian Bankers Association declined to comment on any case that is before the courts, but a departmental spokesperson for the Australian Passport Office said technical advances mean it is very difficult to fabricate a fraudulent Australian passport.
“Fraudulently altered passports … are seen from time to time but in low numbers,” said the spokesperson. The most common fraudulent change is to the page containing biological data.
The spokesperson also said that the Australian Passport Office receives regular requests from Australian banks to verify Australian passports.
by Aaron Cook
