Archive · 31 Jan 2026
Indian Student in Sydney Jailed for Lawyer Scam
A 28-year-old Indian student in Sydney was sentenced to two years in prison for pretending to be a lawyer and scamming a property buyer.
He created a fake website and email to trick the buyer into sending him A$209,000.
The scam was discovered when the buyer contacted the real law firm.
The student spent some of the money on gold and lied to the police about it.
The judge said he knew exactly what he was doing and ordered him to pay back A$100,000.
Most of the money is still missing.
Authorities warn people to be careful with email payments for property deals.
Pardeep Pardeep, a 28-year-old Indian national, was sentenced to two years in prison for posing as a lawyer and scamming a property buyer out of A$209,000.
He created a fake website and email to impersonate a legitimate Sydney law firm and convinced the victim to transfer the funds.
The scam was discovered when the buyer contacted the real law firm, and only A$900 of the funds have been recovered.
Pardeep spent part of the proceeds on gold bullion and lied to the police about the nature of his company.
The judge described the offence as deliberate and calculated, imposing a restitution order for A$100,000.
- Who
- Pardeep Pardeep, a 28-year-old Indian national studying in Sydney on a student visa
- What
- Posing as a lawyer and scamming a property buyer out of A$209,000
- When
- The fraud began in October 2024 and was discovered in November 2024
- Where
- Sydney, Australia
- Why
- To defraud a property buyer by impersonating a solicitor and intercepting funds
- Name
- Pardeep Pardeep
- Age
- 28
- Nationality
- Indian
- Occupation
- Uber driver
- Visa Status
- Student visa
- Sentence
- 2 years
- Non-parole Period
- 14 months
- Amount Scammed
- A$209,000
- Amount Recovered
- A$900
- Bank Used
- Westpac