An 83-year-old Gold Coast woman who says she was manipulated into signing away control of her finances is now facing a legal battle over her home, despite raising the alarm with police almost a year ago.
Pensioner drowns in debt after alleged fraud
Carole Curtis says she is drowning in debt and fears losing her home after a lender commenced legal action over a mortgage she claims she never knowingly agreed to. The loan of $765,000 was allegedly signed electronically and approved despite Curtis surviving on a pension with no other obvious source of income.
“He destroyed my liberty, he’s ruined my life,” Curtis told 7NEWS, referring to her former business associate Christopher Bruce Smith, a twice-convicted fraudster whom she once trusted deeply and appointed as her power of attorney.
Alleged scheme involved fake companies and stolen identities
Last year, 7NEWS revealed Smith had allegedly installed Curtis as director of more than 70 companies and convinced her to take out a larger mortgage against her apartment. The alleged fraud is also linked to an investment scheme that reportedly left dozens of investors owed millions of dollars.
“It came back I had a second mortgage on my property. I nearly died,” Curtis said.
Twice-bankrupt conman Christopher Smith is accused of using fake companies and stolen identities to fund a luxury lifestyle.
Police investigation slow to progress
Despite Curtis reporting the matter to police 10 months ago, she says little progress has been made. “It’s been terribly slow,” she said. “I don’t think they’ve done anything.”
Queensland Police’s Financial and Cyber Crime Group has confirmed investigators have not yet examined the alleged investment scam, saying resources have been tied up with other matters. In a statement, police said they understood the frustration surrounding the investigation, but complex fraud matters can take considerable time.
Lender pauses enforcement action
Legal proceedings over Curtis’s home were due to begin next week, but Private Mortgage Holdings, the lender pursuing the debt, says it has now paused enforcement action and pledged full cooperation. The company said Curtis, “as a victim of fraud”, would not be evicted from her home.
Director Matthew Bransgrove, who has written extensively about mortgage fraud, said he was baffled by how the alleged conduct appeared to bypass safeguards designed to prevent this type of lending abuse.
Federal MP calls for support
Federal Member for Moncrieff Angie Bell said Curtis deserves support while the matter remains unresolved. “This is clearly very distressing for Carole looking down the barrel of losing her home and there needs to be some sort of support for her in the meantime,” Bell said.
Curtis says she is now focused on trying to clear her name. “I’m just a victim of the system,” she said.
