The authorities claim that the scheme started when he secretly used money from the sale of his family’s home in Alfredton, a neighborhood in Ballarat, without his partner’s knowledge.

He allegedly tried to cover up the missing funds by claiming he had made an investment that would pay off to the sum of $2 million.

When the anticipated $2 million from what was described as a false investment did not materialize, he reportedly fabricated a story about having cancer and being a scam victim.

The man then allegedly created false email accounts and impersonated two different lawyers to back up his claims.

Police allege that the man deceived his family into handing over another $1.2 million.

Detectives allege the same man used a fraudulent document to obtain a new car worth $69,830 from a car dealership in Horsham. 

A 30-year-old Western Australian man was arrested in Ararat on July 8, 2024.

After a long investigation, the man has been charged with 28 offences, including 20 counts of obtaining property by deception, as well as 13 counts of making a false document.

He will appear in the Horsham Magistrates’ Court on June 25.