Auckland Man Jailed for Dark Web-Fueled Tax Fraud Scheme

Nicholas Ngwun, an Auckland resident, has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison for committing large-scale tax fraud. He purchased personal information, including credit card details and account credentials, from dark web marketplaces. Over nearly two years, Ngwun submitted 121 fraudulent documents to Inland Revenue, attempting to claim over $2 million in funds, of which he successfully accessed $251,035.74. His fraudulent activities involved using at least 59 myIR accounts and forging various documents to create bank accounts in the names of fictional individuals. He also stole identities from real individuals in four cases. Ngwun pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including tax fraud and perjury, and attempted to mislead the court with a fabricated rehabilitation certificate. Inland Revenue has noted that this case represents a new frontier in digital fraud, utilizing advanced tools for document manipulation.

Key Points: • Nicholas Ngwun was sentenced to 5.5 years for large-scale tax fraud using dark web data. • He submitted 121 fraudulent documents to Inland Revenue, attempting to claim over $2 million. • Inland Revenue has prosecuted multiple individuals for similar Covid support fraud cases.