Thursday 2 August 2012
Salvatore Cortorillo
A Current Affair, February 9, 2012 - Love-rat Salvatore
A Current Affair, February 14, 2012 - Aussie Love Rat flees
Today Tonight, October 4, 2011 - Jilted lover's Justice
"Mafia" Man jailed for Fraud
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8251317/mafia-man-jailed-for-fraud
A "parasite" who pretended he was in the mafia and scammed $155,000 from three women and a relative has been jailed for eight years.
Brisbane District Court Judge Leanne Clare told George Kenneth Hopes he had committed the "ultimate betrayal" of his four victims, some of whom were financially ruined by his deceit.
"You wooed the women and you conned the gentleman," she said on Thursday.
"You gained their trust with a web of lies so that you could cheat and steal from them.
"Throughout the whole period of offending you behaved as a master manipulator and a parasite."
The court was told Hopes was carrying on simultaneous relationships with his three female victims between 2000 and 2005, while at the same time telling his then-wife and four children he had to spend time away from home to work interstate.
The 39-year-old Buderim man led the women to believe he was in the mafia, and asked one for a loan so he could pay protection money.
He convinced another woman to sell her house and give him the proceeds, promising he would use the money to set them up in a new life in Western Australia.
He used the money he took from each of the women to maintain his relationships with the others.
Hopes also took $33,000 from the father of his current wife, telling him he needed it to pay a bogus fine for a drug conviction.
The court was told Hopes also used his story as a mafia man to terrorise and exert control over his victims.
Prosecutor Dennis Kinsella said Hopes drove two of the women to state forests and threatened them with a loaded gun, which police later discovered did not work.
He forced one woman to put the gun to her head and pull the trigger, then threatened to kill her himself.
He told the other woman he would kill himself if she didn't reveal who she had told about his mafia ties.
The court was told the women were still recovering from their ordeal.
"Your crimes were cruel and callous," Judge Clare said.
"You exploited their care for you.
"Yours was the ultimate betrayal of trust and one that is likely to leave lifelong scars on the people hurt by you."
Hopes pleaded guilty to 11 charges, including threatening violence and fraud.
He was sentenced to a total of eight years' jail but will be eligible for parole in June next year.
He has already served 10 months behind bars.
Publishing icon Nene King says she was fleeced by conmen
Read the following article about how Nene King was conned.
Friends fleeced Victorian Greek community members of millions
MEMBERS of the Victorian Greek community robbed of millions are likely to lose out.
The money was stolen in a property fraud by two brothers.
County Court Judge Michael McInerney jailed John Vouranis, 41, of Rye, for a minimum of three years for defrauding his close relatives and friends of more than $4 million.
His brother, George Vouranis, 39, also of Rye, was jailed for at least a year after defrauding a family friend of $583,000.
The judge said nobody appeared to know where the money had gone.
Yesterday the court heard John Vouranis also tried to fraudulently obtain $1.7 million in bank loans using details of family and friends without their knowledge.
The offending happened between 2004 and 2005.
Judge McInerney said John Vouranis' offending displayed a serious level of criminality and added that none of the loans had been repaid.
George Vouranis pleaded guilty to two counts of obtaining property by deception.John Vouranis pleaded guilty to 15 counts of obtaining financial advantage and property by deception and one count of attempting to obtain financial advantage by deception.
Judge McInerney sentenced John Vouranis to a maximum of 4 1/2 years in prison and George Vouranis to a maximum term of three years.
Fraudster George Bavelos jailed for six years for fleecing fiance
A DIRTY rotten scoundrel who fleeced his fiancé and her mother of their life savings was jailed today for six years by a judge who described him as a "cruel, rapacious criminal".
Judge Michael McInerney said George Bavelos claimed he was a wealthy international banker, investor and solicitor but he was in fact a callous, unrepentant liar, fraudster and predator.
Sentencing Bavelos in the County Court Judge McInerney said Bavelos beguiled teacher Helen Biamis and her retired hairdresser mother, Triana Boubis, with stories of wealth and his life as a Geneva-based international banker.
The judge said Bavelos talked to Mrs Boubis about personal issues and her savings and she came to trust him as an advisor.
"He was friendly, he was wealthy, he was able to be confided in, he had the ability as a stockbroker-solicitor and had a great deal of money,'' Judge McInerney said.
In reality Bavelos, 52, was an unemployed divorcee and serial fraudster who lived with his mum in Campbellfield."As he told her he made more money in an hour than some people would make in a lifetime.''
In a three-year period Bavelos ripped off $1.14 million from Mrs Boubis and Ms Biamis, claiming he had invested it overseas.
In December last year Bavelos was found guilty by a jury of nine counts of obtaining property by deception and one count of attempting to obtain property by deception.
Judge McInerney said Bavelos "lied with abandon'' at his trial, tendered forged documents, produced false receipts and continued to claim the victims' money was safely invested overseas.
The judge said he had never before commented to a jury on its verdict but told them the evidence presented by Bavelos was an insult to their intelligence.
Judge McInerney said he would refer the case to the Attorney General for possible perjury charges.
Bavlos manipulted the Greek culture, the judge said, to befuddle the women who were from a similar cultural background.
His callousness was illustrated by booking Mrs Boubis and Ms Biamis into the Ritz Hotel in London for a week but they did not realise their stolen investments was paying the $31,000 bill.
He also took them to stay at a Scottish castle which he pretended to own and the $20,000 was again met from the savings of the two women.
"He was cruelly using the the castle to further the ruse which allowed him to attain his victim's money,'' Judge McInerney said.
Judge McInerney said Bavelos disposed of the victims' fund in a "flagrant and callous'' manner.
"Such callousness is highlighted by passing himself off as their trusted financial advisor, respective future son-in-law and husband Bavelos was depleting their assets at a vast rate, often by way of spending upon the most outrageous extravagance,'' he said.
The judge said between August 2004 and February 2007 a total of $1,130,000 was deposited into a Bavelos account and totally dissipated.
Between August 2004 and October 2006 Bavelos deposited $217,000 into his personal Visa account and spent the lot.
In her victim impact statement Mrs Boubis said: ''He proved to be nothing more than a thief of the cruelest type, who walked into our lives to plunder and steal''.
The judge remarked that the victims had to pay a private investigator to expose Bavelos because of Victoria Police's policy of do-it-yourself fraud investigations.
When they approached Victoria Police 'fraud desk' they were told that because such investigations were complex and difficult they had to come up with the proof they had been fleeced.
Judge McInerney set a maximum term of nine years and two months.
How to spot a con
Lavish flattery
If you've just met someone who is overwhelming you with praise, attention and concern, be careful. Be particularly careful if you're lonely and looking for love—con artists know exactly how to play that tune.
Credentials—exaggerated and fabricated
Con artists may "prove" themselves by namedropping or volunteering detailed resumes or credentials. If you're at all suspicious, check their references.
Building your trust
Con artists will sometimes honor their commitments in the beginning so that you begin to trust them. They'll pay back initial loans, or appear to be unselfishly helping other people. Their objective is to get you to drop your guard.
The story doesn't quite add up
The con artist's story may have small inconsistencies or unexplained loose ends. If you ask questions, the con will glibly provide an explanation—which may also not add up. Or, he or she will sidestep the issue by accusing you of paranoia or mistrust.
"I need an answer now."
A crisis needs to be averted, an opportunity will disappear—whatever the reason, a con artist will want an answer right away. If you have time to think, research or ask advice, you may realize that con artist's plan is a ploy. The con will want your money before you figure it out.
Intense eye contact
Typically, when people talk to each other, they look each other in the eyes and then briefly look away. Sociopathic con artists often exhibit a "predatory stare"—unblinking, fixated and emotionless. It's not a sign of empathy—it's an effort to assert control.
Isolation
Con artists will slowly and subtly separate you from people who may question their plans. They may intercept phone calls from your friends. They may refuse to associate with your family. They'll tell you, "It's you and me against the world, baby." Soon, you're alone with them, snared in their net.For a jaw-dropping look at how sociopaths employ all these techniques, read Love Fraud-How marriage to a sociopath fulfilled my spiritual plan.
http://www.lovefraud.com/02_howToSpotAcon/spot_con_artist.html
Posting details about a con artist
You may send details of the person who conned you to rozzieoz@tpg.com.au to be included on this blog, as a warning to potential victims.
You may include a photograph and details of the scammer's claims, refer to the post regarding Andrew John Harper as a guideline.
WARNING:
DO NOT expose yourself to libel, defamation or slander – if it cannot be proven DO NOT write it.
While this is a moderated forum, we are not here to validate or second guess your comments. We will not and do not intend to research your comment and statements.
By posting, you indemnify us from all loss resulting from personal statements and comments that you choose to make on your own behalf. We do not vet, edit or sanitise your comments.
You are responsible for all statements you make and could be liable for any defamatory or libellous statements you make.
This site and its officers and administrators are indemnified against all such actions to which you may expose your self.
We only have 4 rules –
*Stick to the facts
*You must have irrefutable documented proof of your facts
*You are wholly responsibly for your own comments and claims
*Include a contact email address where you can be contacted by other victims or potential victims- if need be, create a secondary free email account at gmail or yahoo.
The Facebook Group - Privacy and Security issues
We have established a Facebook group, where victims of con artists can vent, share and support one another.
We only really talk generically about feeling etc on this site. Any detailed information you share with us via email will never make it to the Facebook Group unless you put it there. Nothing that anyone has written will be posted without permission or unless they post it themselves.
If you are concerned about privacy or security, just write about your feelings and your thought processes without going in to specifics about, authorities, lawyers, kids or perpetrators.
We are here to offer support, kindness and understanding. Remember, we have all been there.
If you would like to join the Facebook group, please send an email to rozzieoz@tpg.com.au
How to Transition from Victim to Survivor
(c) Diana Mors 2011
Know why you were conned because you are kind, compassionate and caring. Also because your were targeted and his/her mission was to “get” you
Forgive yourself, this is so important! Initially you will feel like an accomplice, most victims do.
Understand your perpetrator. The person you let in your life is NOT the one who enters. They rely on your complicity, embarrassment and humiliation to get away with their con. You invited them in, spent money, etc – but on a pretext of lies. This person is fictitious and imaginary even though they are there in front of you in 3D
Just accept that they do not/cannot/will not have a moral compass like you do. They lack empathy, conscience, ethics, principles and scruples. So yes they can sleep at night – often quite comfortably and usually at your expense. Do not try to work them out, you cannot.
Where to from here:
Go to the Police and file a report. Insist! I got fobbed off by a Senior Sgt 4 time trying to get me to not report. You will hear terms such as” it will be difficult to prove”, well just how much is involved, etc. Keep insisting. I just kept saying “yes I know, but I still want it reported and would like a crime number please”. I said this 4 times and finally got my report taken. Also police will recognise fraud in a business/corporate context but seem disinterested in an individual’s case….. INSIST, INSIST, INSIST – give only copies of any evidence and keep originals. This has been key to the charges on our guy going from 2 to 34. One of our co-survivors kept everything.
There are the laws in various states on fraud and deception. Do your homework and take a copy of the legislation (pertinent parts) to the police if you must. In Queensland the law states:
Fraud is behaviour that's deceptive, dishonest, corrupt or unethical.
For a fraud to exist there needs to be an offender, a victim and an absence of control or safeguards.
Here in Queensland, the laws on fraud involve dishonesty in any of these situations:
• obtaining property belonging to someone else
• applying someone else's property to one's own use
• causing a detriment to another person or entity
• gaining a benefit or advantage for any person; and
• inducing or causing any person to deliver property to another person
The more people that report these crimes the more the authorities are going to have to take notice. Our perpetrators rely on us blaming ourselves and NOT reporting to continue in their craft.
It has taken years for crimes such as music piracy to be recognised in the legal system and it may take years for this type of fraud to be given credibility, but the more of us that do it the more they have to take notice. What happened is NOT acceptable AND should be reported – not trivialised
Go to your Doctor and get counselling – you can get 12 free psych visits with a Drs Referral – you NEED this, for you, for your family, for your kids. You need to talk this out. You have been violated and have suffered trauma.
www. Lovefraud.com. Get on this site and read up – it is so helpful and beneficial. Join the mailing list. And seek out information that can help you. Get the book Without Conscience by Dr Hare
Get support and understanding. Family, friends, colleagues, us, facebook – seek it out wherever you can. A support group like ours circumvents the need to explain how you got conned – we know how it happens and are just there for each other. You will get people who will say things like – how on earth did you get conned, didn’t you realise when such and such happened. No one can possibly understand until they have been there and we do not want to see more people there.
If you want to, set up a website/blog. Set it up on Google. This may cost money; you may need a webmaster to do this for you. Use verifiable facts ONLY – if you have incontrovertible proof it is a lie then list it. What was the lie, how did you prove it was a lie and any reference material. Be objective and matter of fact. If you can’t write it then get some one else to on your behalf. Be 100% honest and keep emotion out of it.
When I set up the website on our con I was taking a risk and I knew it, if our guy was genuine and innocent he could have come after me, but I was so confident that I had the necessary facts and evidence to support that his claims were complete and utter lies that I was happy to take the chance and confront him if it ever came to that.
You WILL be forever changed. Accept that. It does not mean suck it up, simply you cannot go back and have the life, sense of worth, trust, comfort that you had before. Additionally though, you are now stronger and wiser.
Can you empower yourself? Yes, join support groups such as our facebook “ConnedInAus”.
When I initially went pubic, having my photograph in the newspaper, I knew that I was setting myself up to criticism, but as I said to Jon – our Melbourne journalist – someone has to be the face of this crime, no matter how humiliating, how embarrassing or what criticism may come my way I knew my self esteem could handle it. I am a small business owner, single and childless so had no-one to protect if my identity was made public. Additionally, I wanted our con to know that I was still out there chasing him. I had support in Rebecca – as we had supported each other in the 18 months leading up to his downfall. I am so grateful that Rebecca then came with me to do the A Current Affair report and had to deal with a lot of her own demons in going public.
Overwhelmingly the feedback has been positive for going public – comments of how brave and courageous we were together with the odd "attagirl" and lots of thanks for sharing our tale. There have been a couple of individuals who feel they are entitled to ridicule us, but so far they are in the minority that we do not even waste our time defending our position. In fact, others have actually come to our rescue in those instances and put them in their place on our behalf.
I can tell you I have never felt such euphoria when our guy was arrested. It was just utter joy. Having lived on the edge of my seat for two years trying to track him, knowing he was hurting someone else and being powerless to do anything was excruciating.
I hope this helps you make the important transition that you require to empower yourself and move forward. In sharing this information I hope you find a path to recovery.
Forgive yourself, this is so important! Initially you will feel like an accomplice, most victims do.
Understand your perpetrator. The person you let in your life is NOT the one who enters. They rely on your complicity, embarrassment and humiliation to get away with their con. You invited them in, spent money, etc – but on a pretext of lies. This person is fictitious and imaginary even though they are there in front of you in 3D
Just accept that they do not/cannot/will not have a moral compass like you do. They lack empathy, conscience, ethics, principles and scruples. So yes they can sleep at night – often quite comfortably and usually at your expense. Do not try to work them out, you cannot.
Where to from here:
Go to the Police and file a report. Insist! I got fobbed off by a Senior Sgt 4 time trying to get me to not report. You will hear terms such as” it will be difficult to prove”, well just how much is involved, etc. Keep insisting. I just kept saying “yes I know, but I still want it reported and would like a crime number please”. I said this 4 times and finally got my report taken. Also police will recognise fraud in a business/corporate context but seem disinterested in an individual’s case….. INSIST, INSIST, INSIST – give only copies of any evidence and keep originals. This has been key to the charges on our guy going from 2 to 34. One of our co-survivors kept everything.
There are the laws in various states on fraud and deception. Do your homework and take a copy of the legislation (pertinent parts) to the police if you must. In Queensland the law states:
Fraud is behaviour that's deceptive, dishonest, corrupt or unethical.
For a fraud to exist there needs to be an offender, a victim and an absence of control or safeguards.
Here in Queensland, the laws on fraud involve dishonesty in any of these situations:
• obtaining property belonging to someone else
• applying someone else's property to one's own use
• causing a detriment to another person or entity
• gaining a benefit or advantage for any person; and
• inducing or causing any person to deliver property to another person
The more people that report these crimes the more the authorities are going to have to take notice. Our perpetrators rely on us blaming ourselves and NOT reporting to continue in their craft.
It has taken years for crimes such as music piracy to be recognised in the legal system and it may take years for this type of fraud to be given credibility, but the more of us that do it the more they have to take notice. What happened is NOT acceptable AND should be reported – not trivialised
Go to your Doctor and get counselling – you can get 12 free psych visits with a Drs Referral – you NEED this, for you, for your family, for your kids. You need to talk this out. You have been violated and have suffered trauma.
www. Lovefraud.com. Get on this site and read up – it is so helpful and beneficial. Join the mailing list. And seek out information that can help you. Get the book Without Conscience by Dr Hare
Get support and understanding. Family, friends, colleagues, us, facebook – seek it out wherever you can. A support group like ours circumvents the need to explain how you got conned – we know how it happens and are just there for each other. You will get people who will say things like – how on earth did you get conned, didn’t you realise when such and such happened. No one can possibly understand until they have been there and we do not want to see more people there.
If you want to, set up a website/blog. Set it up on Google. This may cost money; you may need a webmaster to do this for you. Use verifiable facts ONLY – if you have incontrovertible proof it is a lie then list it. What was the lie, how did you prove it was a lie and any reference material. Be objective and matter of fact. If you can’t write it then get some one else to on your behalf. Be 100% honest and keep emotion out of it.
When I set up the website on our con I was taking a risk and I knew it, if our guy was genuine and innocent he could have come after me, but I was so confident that I had the necessary facts and evidence to support that his claims were complete and utter lies that I was happy to take the chance and confront him if it ever came to that.
You WILL be forever changed. Accept that. It does not mean suck it up, simply you cannot go back and have the life, sense of worth, trust, comfort that you had before. Additionally though, you are now stronger and wiser.
Can you empower yourself? Yes, join support groups such as our facebook “ConnedInAus”.
When I initially went pubic, having my photograph in the newspaper, I knew that I was setting myself up to criticism, but as I said to Jon – our Melbourne journalist – someone has to be the face of this crime, no matter how humiliating, how embarrassing or what criticism may come my way I knew my self esteem could handle it. I am a small business owner, single and childless so had no-one to protect if my identity was made public. Additionally, I wanted our con to know that I was still out there chasing him. I had support in Rebecca – as we had supported each other in the 18 months leading up to his downfall. I am so grateful that Rebecca then came with me to do the A Current Affair report and had to deal with a lot of her own demons in going public.
Overwhelmingly the feedback has been positive for going public – comments of how brave and courageous we were together with the odd "attagirl" and lots of thanks for sharing our tale. There have been a couple of individuals who feel they are entitled to ridicule us, but so far they are in the minority that we do not even waste our time defending our position. In fact, others have actually come to our rescue in those instances and put them in their place on our behalf.
I can tell you I have never felt such euphoria when our guy was arrested. It was just utter joy. Having lived on the edge of my seat for two years trying to track him, knowing he was hurting someone else and being powerless to do anything was excruciating.
I hope this helps you make the important transition that you require to empower yourself and move forward. In sharing this information I hope you find a path to recovery.
More from Dr Robert Hare
This article is brilliant - a Must Read from Dr Robert Hare.
They want many of the same basic things that the rest of us want, but, in addition, have an inordinate need for power, prestige, wealth, and so forth. They differ from most of us in terms of how much they "need," their sense of entitlement to whatever they want, and the means with which they are willing to achieve their ends. They also differ dramatically from others in the communal nature of their needs and goals. That is, the sense of altruism, concern for the welfare of family, friends, and society, and the social rules, expectations, and reciprocity that guide most people are irrelevant to psychopaths. They operate according to their own self-serving principle: look out for number 1, no matter what the cost to others, and without guilt or remorse.
Without Conscience - Dr Robert Hare
This book was recommended to me and was incredibly helpful in understanding the psychopath.
KEY SYMPTOMS OF PSYCHOPATHY (Page 34):
Emotional/Interpersonal
*glib and superficial
*egocentric and grandiose
*lack of remorse or guilt
*lack of empathy
*deceitful and manipulative
*shallow emotions
Social Deviance
*impulsive
*poor behaviour controls
*need for excitement
*lack of responsibility
*early behaviour problems
*adult antisocial behaviour
Some excerpts from "Without Conscience":
He will choose you, disarm you with his words, and control you with his presence. He will delight you with his wit and his plans. He will show you a good time, but you will always get the bill. He will smile and deceive you, and he will scare you with his eyes. Ans when he is through with you, and he will be through with you, he will desert you and take with him your innocence and your pride. You will be left much sadder but not a lot wiser, and for a long time you will wonder what happened and what you did wrong. And if another of his kind comes knocking at your door, will you open it? (Page 21)
He knows the words but not the music. (Page 128)
In an interview, one of our psychopaths, a con artist, said candidly, "When I'm on a job the first thing I do is I size you up. I look for an angle, an edge, figure out what you need and give it to you. Then it's pay-back time, with interest. I tighten the screws." (Page 147)
Psychopaths have an uncanny ability to spot and use "nurturant" women- that is, those who have a powerful need to help or mother others....These women will usually take a lot of abuse in their believe that they can help; they are ripe for being left emotionally, physically, and financially drained. (Page 149)
Facebook Group
We have created a Facebook group for victims of scammers and con artists to chat and support one another.
If you would like to join the Facebook group, please send an email to rozzieoz@tpg.com.au with your facebook ID, and you will receive an invite to our group, which is a closed group.
Obviously, we won't be able to give legal advice, but we will all be able to support one another in a safe environment.
Sometimes just hearing the words "I understand" can make all the difference in the world. They did to me.
Introduction
I am a survivor of Andrew John Harper - Conman.
He used an alias when he was with me and for six months after he deserted me, I would Google terms like "Australian Conman" and not find anything about him. The frustration was tremendous.
Then one day, his photo and story was in the Sunday newspaper and finally I had his name. I got in contact with some of his other survivors and through them, my healing began. You can read the story of these incredibly strong, brave women in Woman's Weekly, January 2011.
Since going public with our story, we have been contacted by several people who are also victims of unscrupulous conmen and felt we needed to do something to help. My desire is to see something positive come from our experience.
This blog has been created as a central place for victims to submit a photo and short story of the person who conned them. This blog will be open to men, women and businesses who need to find the person who duped them.
We will not take responsibility for the content of the stories included in this blog. We will not be able to verify stories and fact-check. We will merely host the details, so that anyone who recognises a scammer can contact the victim directly.
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