Indian student in Sydney jailed for posing as lawyer, scamming local

According to court details reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, the fraud began in October 2024 when Pardeep intercepted information about a client who had hired a legitimate Sydney law firm for a home purchase. He registered a domain name almost identical to the firm’s website, created an email address mimicking the principal solicitor’s, complete with a matching signature, and established a company with a deceptively similar name. Pardeep then appointed himself as the sole director and opened a business bank account with Westpac.

Over several weeks of email correspondence, he convinced the victim to transfer A$209,000, including stamp duty payments, directly to his account on November 13, 2024. The deception was discovered about a week later when the buyer contacted the real law firm.

The victim has recovered just A$900 of the funds and has suffered severe financial hardship and emotional distress as a result.

In mitigation, Pardeep’s lawyer, Ikbal Khan, argued for a non-custodial sentence, suggesting his client had been influenced by another individual and had merely “turned a blind eye” to the incoming money. Prosecutors rejected this claim, saying police investigations cleared the alleged mastermind of any involvement.

Evidence presented in court revealed Pardeep spent part of the proceeds on gold bullion, capturing photographs of himself with the purchases and images of bank statements. CCTV footage confirmed the transactions. When initially interviewed by police, he falsely described the company as a legitimate transport business with no actual clients.

Magistrate Andrew Miller described the offence as deliberate and calculated. “He knew exactly what he was doing and failed to take responsibility,” the magistrate said in his sentencing remarks.

Miller also imposed a restitution order for A$100,000, the maximum allowable in the Local Court, emphasising the seriousness of the deception.

The case highlights growing concerns over sophisticated email impersonation scams targeting property settlements in Australia, where large sums change hands during conveyancing. Authorities continue to warn buyers and sellers to verify payment instructions directly with known contacts rather than relying solely on email communications.

Most of the stolen funds remain unrecovered.