Tradie vanishes after being accused of pocketing $450,000 from ‘dozens’ of clients
- Replies 5
In the world of home renovations and construction, trust between the contractor and the client is paramount. This is especially important for homeowners, who entrust their hard-earned money and the safety of their homes to tradespeople, expecting them to deliver quality work on time.
However, a recent case in Queensland has left dozens of homeowners feeling betrayed and out of pocket, raising questions about how to ensure you're hiring a reliable contractor.
Tradesman Hong Thanh Dang Tran, 44, has been accused of allegedly defrauding 35 Queenslanders out of a staggering $450,000 before disappearing, leaving their jobs unfinished. The accused serial fraudster was recently charged with 35 counts of fraud and appeared in Richlands Magistrate Court.
He is currently in custody, also facing an impersonation charge and accusations of renting tools from Bunnings and never returning them.
The authorities believe more victims could surface.
One of the alleged victims, Sadiq Akbar, found Dang Tran on Facebook Marketplace and hired him for a major renovation at his Kuraby home in Brisbane.
After handing over $22,500, Akbar claimed the builder simply 'disappeared', leaving him to hire another builder to help get his bathroom working again.
Umair Rizvi, another alleged victim, also shared how he contacted Dang Tran on Facebook in the hopes of finding someone who could update his Forest Lake garage into an additional living space.
Rizvi said he transferred $16,500 to Dang Tran for the renovations.
'He started some work, ripped up the tiles, removed the walls, made partitions... but he never finished it,' Rizvi told a news source. He claimed he has yet to hear from Dang Tran since then.
Meanwhile, a third victim allegedly handed over $15,000 before the builder switched his phone off and vanished.
But this is not the first time Dang Tran has been in the spotlight. In 2021, NSW Fair Trading issued a public warning against using Dang Tran’s services following complaints from customers for contracts.
NSW Fair Trading shared: 'Consumers complain that Mr Tran (including through corporate entities) has contracted to do residential building work without a licence to do so, advertised that he is willing to do residential building work he was not licenced for, contracted to do work requiring insurance under the Home Building Compensation Fund without obtaining any such insurance, and accepted substantial sums of money and without providing the services paid for.’
‘Consumers are also urged to check that their tradesperson is appropriately licensed to do the work,’ they added.
Among the aliases Dang Tran was known to have used at the time in community pages are Thuong Tho Pham, John Wilde, Elvis Tran, David Tran, Kevin Tran, Ethan Tran, Tommy Nguyen, Paul Lee, Dave the Builder, and TT Building and Construction.
Consumers are also urged to make complaints by calling 13 32 20 (8.30 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday) or by submitting their complaint using forms found on the NSW Fair Trading website here.
Have you had a similar experience with a contractor? Share your story in the comments below to help others avoid the same pitfalls.
However, a recent case in Queensland has left dozens of homeowners feeling betrayed and out of pocket, raising questions about how to ensure you're hiring a reliable contractor.
Tradesman Hong Thanh Dang Tran, 44, has been accused of allegedly defrauding 35 Queenslanders out of a staggering $450,000 before disappearing, leaving their jobs unfinished. The accused serial fraudster was recently charged with 35 counts of fraud and appeared in Richlands Magistrate Court.
He is currently in custody, also facing an impersonation charge and accusations of renting tools from Bunnings and never returning them.
A tradesman was accused of pocketing $450,000 collected from 35 of his clients. Credit: Allan Mas/Pexels
The authorities believe more victims could surface.
One of the alleged victims, Sadiq Akbar, found Dang Tran on Facebook Marketplace and hired him for a major renovation at his Kuraby home in Brisbane.
After handing over $22,500, Akbar claimed the builder simply 'disappeared', leaving him to hire another builder to help get his bathroom working again.
Umair Rizvi, another alleged victim, also shared how he contacted Dang Tran on Facebook in the hopes of finding someone who could update his Forest Lake garage into an additional living space.
Rizvi said he transferred $16,500 to Dang Tran for the renovations.
'He started some work, ripped up the tiles, removed the walls, made partitions... but he never finished it,' Rizvi told a news source. He claimed he has yet to hear from Dang Tran since then.
Meanwhile, a third victim allegedly handed over $15,000 before the builder switched his phone off and vanished.
But this is not the first time Dang Tran has been in the spotlight. In 2021, NSW Fair Trading issued a public warning against using Dang Tran’s services following complaints from customers for contracts.
NSW Fair Trading shared: 'Consumers complain that Mr Tran (including through corporate entities) has contracted to do residential building work without a licence to do so, advertised that he is willing to do residential building work he was not licenced for, contracted to do work requiring insurance under the Home Building Compensation Fund without obtaining any such insurance, and accepted substantial sums of money and without providing the services paid for.’
‘Consumers are also urged to check that their tradesperson is appropriately licensed to do the work,’ they added.
Among the aliases Dang Tran was known to have used at the time in community pages are Thuong Tho Pham, John Wilde, Elvis Tran, David Tran, Kevin Tran, Ethan Tran, Tommy Nguyen, Paul Lee, Dave the Builder, and TT Building and Construction.
Consumers are also urged to make complaints by calling 13 32 20 (8.30 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday) or by submitting their complaint using forms found on the NSW Fair Trading website here.
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