Busting a billion dollar British scammer cartel | Part 1 of 2 | 7NEWS Spotlight Documentary

In the most explosive investigation of the year, 7NEWS Spotlight’s award-winning broadcaster Liam Bartlett busts open a billion-dollar British crime cartel that is fleecing Australians of more than $4 million each and every week.
The staggeringly sophisticated crime syndicate, run by British con artists with the backing of Russian mafia, has been targeting Aussie investors they have cruelly dubbed “mugs with money”, safe in the knowledge authorities here can’t - or won’t - touch them.
In the joint expose with investigative reporter Ross Coulthart, Bartlett will take viewers inside “Operation Tropicana” led by Australian fraud and cybercrime specialist Ken Gamble and his IFW Global operatives.
Across 24 simultaneous raids, in association with Malaysia’s anti-crime commission, the scam busters make more than 80 arrests, including Brit king pin Andy Peters, aka “Peg Leg”, who lived a life of luxury at the expense of duped Australians.
Bartlett said: “I have been embedded with crime fighting groups from various countries over the years, but this operation was on a scale like no other. As it turned out, it needed to be. The criminal syndicate was the biggest scamming group ever to be raided by any global authority.
“The results spectacularly demonstrate the abject failure of our Federal Police to act effectively against the scourge of this ever-increasing threat to Aussie consumers; and we have to demand that things are done better,” he said.
It is a 7NEWS Spotlight exclusive every Australian must see.
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#scam #7news #documentary

[@Benjamin-qe3fe]

I'm favoured financially, Thank you Jesus $32,000 weekly profit regardless of how bad it gets on the economy.

[@j.d.445]

Documentaries like this should be televised in every country at least once a month. It would educate and prepare people for new kind of scams to watch out for.

[@nenau574]

I am an Australian. So proud of Spotlight Australia! Well done!

[@richardewels6280]

Disgusting how much misery these evil people cause and how inept Australian authorities have been.

[@DefyingTheOddsYT]

I'm in USA and happened to stumble across the spotlights taking down the scammers! Thank you for your great work and coverage..

[@bolehtahan]

please do a follow-up piece on how these scammers are getting on after a year in jail. thanks.

[@ozgal6929]

Beautiful work. The rest of the world needs to get on board to stop these huge crime syndicates.

[@naomihobbit2758]

That Brit Ian made me feel ashamed to be British!! Sorry to all the victims ,I promise you we are not all like them low lives that stole your money. Hope that get what they deserve 🙏

[@balance3201]

Time for all governments to get serious about this problem.

[@AJL04B]

Congrats MACC. I'm Malaysian and I'm ashamed this happened from our beloved country. May all the victims get justice and all the scammers put in jail for a long time.

[@bravosierra2447]

Impressive how Spotlight was able to get the scoop and 'capture' the raid. Nice work.

[@geoffreythomas2938]

Spotlight is a very brave at bringing scammers to justice. They did what the Australian authorities should have done themselves in the first place. The media brought the scammers to justice with no fanfare only shearing with the public when it was all over with no excuses or apologises

[@phil4977]

Well done. Keep bringing these people to justice. Crime does not pay!!

[@ericcss7]

Shame on the Australian government 😕

[@simonrodgers3278]

There's hundreds of these boiler rooms in the Phillipines unfortunately the authorties are as Corrupt as the Scammers.

[@MC-mv2wr]

Its a shame that the Australian Government is lacking. Congratulations to 7news & of course the excellent work of Malaysia’s anti-crime commission , I cannot even imagen how much work, investigating and planning that went into putting this together. This is Journalism at its very best & the reason that we too need to be support Journalism, Thanks.

[@NikZafriAbdulMajid]

This is a great day and justice for innocent Australians who have been duped in the most elaborate scam of all time. I am also speaking representing my Malaysian friends who have also fallen into this scam. (although much warnings have been given but greed conquers all) Unfortunately, these scammers knows "bits and pieces" of tactics on how to hide below radar with the assistance of some corrupted Malaysian officials as well. (I sincerely hope that these corrupted officials are caught soon)

[@EustaquioSantimano]

Great job! Wake up call to all authorities around the world to be more vigilant on scamming. This is going on everywhere. I feel for these people who loose all their life savings.

[@sunsetshadow]

Nat and Tom did their homework .. the scammers were just one step ahead every time. Sophisticated .. diabolical .. may these scammers get a long, long sentence.

[@darkhorse7022]

Please please don’t tell me that in a few months these pathetic creatures have lawered up and are back on the streets. My biggest fear is that they will work with corrupt officials and find a way to avoid the punishment they so deserve.