Sydney, Australia — A 53-year-old woman who called herself a fortune-teller and feng shui master is accused of orchestrating a $70 million money-laundering operation by convincing clients that she foresaw vast wealth in their futures. Police allege that Anya Phan, a self-styled spiritual consultant, and her 25-year-old daughter, Thi Ta, preyed upon clients from Sydney’s Vietnamese community, urging them to take out large financial loans under the promise that “a billionaire” would soon transform their fortunes.
Authorities say Phan, who had cultivated a reputation as a trusted community figure since migrating to Australia in 2001, exploited that trust to build a criminal enterprise spanning personal, car, and home loan fraud. When police raided her Dover Heights residence, they seized financial documents, electronics, luxury handbags, and a gold bar worth $10,000 — alongside $6,600 in casino chips.
A Fraud Built on Fear, Faith, and False Promises
According to investigators, Phan’s scheme relied on a blend of emotional manipulation and calculated financial deceit. Police allege that she persuaded financially vulnerable individuals to become “mules” for her syndicate, borrowing large sums through banks and private lenders under false pretenses.
Detective Superintendent Gordon Arbinja, commander of New South Wales’ financial crimes squad, said Phan’s victims were often people in hardship, led to believe that borrowing money would bring them prosperity.
“The 53-year-old convinced these vulnerable people that wealth was destined for them,” Arbinja said. “She pocketed at least $150,000 every time she lured someone into a fraudulent loan.”
Phan’s network allegedly extended beyond Sydney’s suburbs to a ring of professional facilitators — lawyers, accountants, and property developers — whose involvement may have helped disguise the movement of stolen funds. Police have already frozen an additional $15 million in assets linked to the syndicate.
The Making of a ‘High Roller’ and a Trusted Figure
Authorities paint a portrait of Phan as a paradox — a woman on disability support for more than two decades, yet living as a “high roller” and VIP casino customer. She allegedly laundered over $520,000 in just two months at a Sydney casino and used laundered funds to finance luxury real estate, including a $5.3 million apartment at Rose Bay purchased under her daughter’s name.
“What is also alarming,” Arbinja said, “is that this woman was deeply trusted within her community.”
Investigators believe that Phan’s credibility as a feng shui expert allowed her to attract followers who saw her not as a fraudster but as a spiritual guide. Over 20 years, she allegedly maintained an image of mystique and generosity — all while quietly accumulating power and money.
By the time of her arrest, Phan faced 39 charges, including knowingly directing criminal activities, obtaining financial advantage by deception, and dealing with the proceeds of crime. Her daughter was charged with two counts of deception-related offenses exceeding $5,000. Phan has been denied bail until January 15.
From “Ghost Cars” to Property Syndicates: A Growing Scandal
The case against Phan emerged from a broader financial crime investigation known as Strike Force Myddleton, initially focused on fraudulent automotive financing schemes.
Detectives uncovered evidence suggesting that the syndicate used stolen personal data to secure fraudulent loans for vehicles that never existed — “ghost cars” — before expanding into property and business loan fraud.
“What started as a car loan scam turned into one of the most sophisticated financial crime syndicates I’ve encountered,” Arbinja said.
Seventeen people have already been charged under the same operation, with more arrests expected as the investigation expands into professional networks accused of artificially inflating Sydney’s property values.
Authorities say the case exposes how trust, culture, and financial desperation can be weaponized to sustain long-term fraud — a reminder that modern criminal enterprises often operate as much on belief as on greed.
