Cindy De Waij faces 64 fraud charges in Melbourne

Cindy De Waij, 41, appeared in a Melbourne court on Wednesday facing 64 new fraud charges. These charges include obtaining financial advantage through deception. De Waij is known for her elaborate identity scams, which have drawn comparisons to the real-life con artist featured in the film "Catch Me if You Can." During the court session, it was revealed that De Waij allegedly scammed victims of $167,000 between October 2023 and August last year. She reportedly used fake and possibly stolen identities to secure loans, with one of her largest thefts amounting to $15,000. She attempted to take out loans as high as $23,500. De Waij was charged with various offences, including attempted fraud and dealing with the proceeds of crime. Police found numerous suspected stolen IDs, including digital copies of passports and driver's licenses, when they apprehended her. The con artist was previously jailed for fraud in 2021. Her earlier scams involved renting a storage unit to create fake documents and IDs. This operation was discovered in early 2020, but De Waij managed to escape arrest initially. She has a history of targeting young women, using their identities to accrue debts and luxury items. De Waij once booked a fake stay at someone's Airbnb, leading to her eventual capture after a victim moved to track her down. During her court appearance, it was noted that De Waij's lawyer sought a sentence indication. However, the magistrate suggested sending her back to jail immediately. De Waij will return to court at a later date to face these new allegations.