Two women have been charged in an alleged $5 million mortgage fraud scheme involving stolen identities, forged documents and properties obtained through deception.
According to a report by Stuff, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) said the women, who have interim name suppression, were arrested following a search warrant at a property in Epsom, Auckland, last week.
They appeared in the Auckland District Court on August 5 and are facing four joint charges of obtaining by deception.
According to the SFO, the pair were allegedly involved in a wider criminal syndicate that stole the identities of at least three people and used their details to secure loans against properties belonging to the victims, without their knowledge, Stuff has reported.
The alleged scheme involved forged residential tenancy and immigration records, as well as a New Zealand driver's licence and foreign passports.
According to Stuff, the syndicate allegedly created fictitious addresses and used a PO Box, phone numbers and email accounts to support the fraudulent applications. Bank accounts were also allegedly established in the victims' names to receive the loan funds.
The SFO is now appealing to the public for information about three other people, two men and a woman, who may be able to assist with the investigation. The three individuals are not the defendants who have already been charged, as reported by Stuff.
The agency said the people it is seeking are believed to frequent the Albany and St Luke's areas of Auckland, Stuff has reported.
Anyone who recognises the individuals or has information that could help identify them is being asked to contact the SFO.
The two defendants are due to return to the Auckland District Court on August 26, Stuff has reported.
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