Issue Date:  -  Thursday, 4 March 2004

Pyramid Scheme Topples

Operator Off To Face District Court

Julie Yoke Jacobs a.k.a. Julie Chin of East Fremantle, accused of promoting ‘Amazing Grace Benefactor Project’ appeared in the Fremantle Court of Petty Sessions today but was dealt a blow when the matter was uplifted to the District Court as an indictable matter.

Consumer Protection’s prosecutor Robert Lombardi submitted that the offence was of such a serious nature and Ms Chin had profited so greatly from the scheme, that the matter could not be adequately dealt with in the lower court as a summary matter.

Stipendiary Magistrate Vicki Stewart after hearing Consumer Protection’s submission agreed and referred the case to the District Court on April 15th, where a maximum penalty of $20,000 could be imposed, rather than a maximum of $6,000 in the lower court.

"This is the first time that we have sought and achieved a pyramid scheme offence being heard in the District Court where the penalties better suit the crime", Consumer Protection Commissioner Patrick Walker said.

"The community is sick and tired of scams so scamsters can expect to dig deep from now on as we continue our push for greater deterrents", he said.

It is alleged that Ms Chin ran the scheme for almost six months and turned over about $500,000 before ceasing in December 2001 as a result of Consumer Protection’s investigation.

Mrs Jacobs, or Julie Chin as her victims knew her, recruited others by claiming to have gone from being heavily in debt, to being able to take overseas holidays after only a short period of time.