A 51-year-old Sydney man has been charged with more than 30 offences after allegedly posing as a lawyer and impersonating financial institutions to defraud six people of over $650,000 through a fake property investment scheme. The case highlights the risks of elaborate impersonation scams targeting property investors, with New South Wales Police launching their investigation after receiving a tip-off earlier this year.

The man allegedly took $652,350 from three men and three women between March 2023 and June 2026, using fabricated financial and legal documents to convince victims to hand over their money. Police raided a unit in Potts Point, inner-eastern Sydney, on Tuesday morning, seizing 60 luxury watches and more than 100 pieces of jewellery worth an estimated $2.5 million. He was taken to Kings Cross Police Station and charged with 14 counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, 15 counts of using false documents, and one count of dealing with property suspected of being proceeds of crime. He was refused bail and is due to appear in court on Wednesday.