The Daily Telegraph (Australia)
January 18, 2014 Saturday
Victims of con come forward
MATTHEW BENNS & JIM O'ROURKE
MORE victims of con man John Varoujan have come forward after The
Daily Telegraph revealed how he vanished overseas with more than $40
million of investors' money.
He told one duped investor he was the money manager for the Saudi
royal family and was headquartered with them in a luxury hotel on the
Riviera.
The Australian investor, who did not want to be named, said Varoujan
told her he was now money manager for the royal family. But once she
had invested $700,000 of her family's money, the paperwork and
feedback from Varoujan, whose real name is Varoujan Yaghldjian, dried
up.
When she contacted a representative of the Saudi royal family she had
met with Varoujan in France, he "was amazed" to learn Varoujan had
claimed to be working with them.
Last week The Daily Telegraph revealed how Varoujan, former chairman
of the Armenian Chamber of Commerce in Sydney, dazzled 70 Australian
investors with a glossy prospectus for his Gold Hedge Royalty
Corporation, promising to invest in gold mines and bullion.ASIC
investigators swooped when the con was revealed and cancelled his
trading licence and closed down his website.
January 18, 2014 Saturday
Victims of con come forward
MATTHEW BENNS & JIM O'ROURKE
MORE victims of con man John Varoujan have come forward after The
Daily Telegraph revealed how he vanished overseas with more than $40
million of investors' money.
He told one duped investor he was the money manager for the Saudi
royal family and was headquartered with them in a luxury hotel on the
Riviera.
The Australian investor, who did not want to be named, said Varoujan
told her he was now money manager for the royal family. But once she
had invested $700,000 of her family's money, the paperwork and
feedback from Varoujan, whose real name is Varoujan Yaghldjian, dried
up.
When she contacted a representative of the Saudi royal family she had
met with Varoujan in France, he "was amazed" to learn Varoujan had
claimed to be working with them.
Last week The Daily Telegraph revealed how Varoujan, former chairman
of the Armenian Chamber of Commerce in Sydney, dazzled 70 Australian
investors with a glossy prospectus for his Gold Hedge Royalty
Corporation, promising to invest in gold mines and bullion.ASIC
investigators swooped when the con was revealed and cancelled his
trading licence and closed down his website.