Melbourne woman Jasmine Vella-Arpaci was allegedly part of a cybercrime syndicate which fleeced $1.73 million from Australians' superannuation and share-trading accounts, with plans to withdraw millions more.
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The 21-year-old faced Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday after being charged with 53 offences for her involvement in the group that sometimes called itself "Team Awesome".
Vella-Arpaci spoke only to confirm she understood her bail conditions, after prosecutors consented to her request to live in the community until she returns to court in February.
It is alleged Vella-Arpaci and several accomplices, from early 2018, gained unauthorised access to various Australian superannuation and share accounts using multiple methods.
The accomplices are known only as 'H', 'Steven Rocks', 'Moneymonkey', 'Elvy X' and 'Kevin Butwell', with the group referring to themselves in encrypted Telegram chats as 'Team Papa' or 'Team Awesome'.
Superannuation accounts with Club Plus, HESTA, Hostplus, Australian Super and LACRF were among those affected.
Once the group had access to the funds, they allegedly transferred money into Westpac and National Australia Bank accounts they had created in other people's names using stolen identification documents.
Once cash was deposited in the fake bank accounts, the syndicate sent debit cards for the accounts to a contact in Hong Kong, court documents said.
It's alleged the contact purchased untraceable items such as high-end jewellery. The assets were then sold, with Vella-Arpaci and her associates sent a share of the proceeds using crytocurrency such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.
The group is accused of successfully withdrawing $1.73 million from both superannuation and share accounts and attempting to take about $7 million more.
They allegedly used similar methods to withdraw money from share portfolios, with the funds laundered through the same Hong Kong entity.
Australian Federal Police and Australian Securities and Investments Commission investigators executed warrants on Vella-Arpaci on April 30, allegedly discovering details and images of hundreds of stolen identification documents on her laptop and mobile phones.
Hard copy documents linked to the offending were also allegedly found at her home.
Vella-Arpaci was arrested on Tuesday. Many of her charges involve alleged conspiracy.
On one occasion, it's alleged she conspired with others to take $243,169.80 from a man's HESTA superannuation account, while in another case the group is alleged to have taken $89,204.22 from a woman's account.
The AFP went public about the syndicate following Tuesday's arrest, revealing investigations had stretched over more than a year.
Vella-Arpaci is the only person charged, but investigations continue.
She has been ordered to surrender her passport and as part of her bail conditions is not permitted to communicate with anyone else involved in the allegations.
She is due to return to court on February 11 next year.
Australian Associated Press
