Married At First Sight star Dan Webb faces court as he’s charged with fraud over an alleged telemarketing scam that raked in $24MILLION
- WARNING: This article contains spoilers for British viewers
Eleven people – including Married at First Sight star Daniel Webb – are accused of fraud over their involvement in an alleged telemarketing scam.
The former reality television contestant has appeared in court during a committal hearing over an alleged multi-million dollar ‘boiler room’ telemarketing scam.
Daniel Phillip Webb and 10 other people are charged with fraud, while some also face money-laundering charges.
Court matter: Former Married At First Sight star Daniel Webb faced court on Tuesday over his alleged involvement in an elaborate phone scam
The prosecution argues the scam raked in about $24 million from hundreds of victims in 2013 and 2014.
Webb sat in the public gallery in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Tuesday while his lawyer asked for them both to be excused until two witnesses take the stand later in the hearing.
It is alleged the scammers ran a call centre, referred to as a boiler room by police because sales people pressured unsuspecting victims to invest money thinking they would make good returns.
Police allege the companies would then disappear, being replaced by another entity that continued to operate the alleged scam.
Charges: Webb is alleged to have been part of a cold-calling scheme in 2013 that manipulated people to invest in a ‘boiler room scam’
The court heard those running the operation allegedly used associates as signatories behind companies and bank accounts into which money was deposited and then withdrawn.
The committal hearing has been given evidence from some witnesses who have been indemnified from prosecution due to their involvement in the scam.
About 500 people are named on the witness list for a trial, with about 35 due to take the stand during the three-week committal hearing.
Webb is facing charges of fraud along with Kirsty Maria Lester, Patrik Rasmus Gorannson and Charlie Mikael Gorannson.
Travis Charles Burch, Robert John Doueihi, Nicholas John Forbes, Vincent Alexander McDonald, Natchamon Srisunanrat, Douglas Owen Traynor and Jason Troy Trouchet are charged with fraud and money laundering.
The hearing continues.
Court appearance: The reality TV star appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday, charged with aggravated fraud
Webb rose to fame on Channel Nine dating show Married At First Sight in 2019. He was unsuccessfully partnered with Tamara Joy.
During the experiment, he had an affair with co-star Jessika Power.
He and Power were controversially allowed to re-enter the experiment as a new couple after their secret unravelled at a commitment ceremony.
But things didn’t last, and they memorably broke up during a live episode of Talking Married, which aired immediately after the Married At First Sight finale in April 2019.
Rise to fame: Webb rose to fame on Channel Nine dating show Married At First Sight in 2019. He was unsuccessfully partnered with Tamara Joy (right)
After the show ended, Webb said he was ‘heckled’ by angry viewers in the street.
‘I could never go back to that show. I’d be heckled. I get heckled on the street enough as it is, imagine going back on there again!’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
But Webb insisted his fling with Power, 29, actually made for good television, even if it didn’t win them many fans.
Controversial: During the experiment, he had an affair with co-star Jessika Power (right)
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