Summary:
- Melissa Caddock, a notorious conwoman, has been officially ruled dead, but the cause of death remains uncertain.
- Caddock scammed investors out of millions by promising high returns but spent the money on herself.
- Her lavish spending included designer items, luxury cars, and a mansion.
- Many victims of the scam were family members and friends who trusted her.
- A dispute has arisen over the distribution of assets, particularly involving Caddock's parents.
- Victims may receive around 40-45% of their losses through asset sales.
- Anthony Coletti, Caddock's husband, has been accused of lying to investigators during the search for her.
- Lawyers are considering suing auditors who failed to detect problems in Caddock's financial documents.
- If successful, the lawsuit against auditors could bring $15 million to the victims.
1. Melissa Caddock, a notorious Sydney con woman, has been declared dead by a coroner.
2. The exact cause of her death remains unknown.
3. Caddock operated a Ponzi scheme, promising huge returns to investors while spending their money on herself.
4. Caddock disappeared from her 10 million dollar mansion, which was raided by the federal police due to accusations of major fraud.
5. She was found to have taken money from her investors, who were mostly family and friends, and never invested it. Instead, she sent them forged documents.
6. Caddock had a lavish lifestyle, spending millions of dollars on high-end jewelry, sports cars, and designer labels.
7. Caddock's parents, Bob and Ted Grimley, are involved in a dispute over a penthouse apartment in Sydney's affluent Eastern suburbs. They claim they're entitled to stay in the apartment as they contributed a million dollars to it.
8. The victims of Caddock's fraud are fighting to recover their money. It's estimated that they could get back approximately 40 to 45 percent of what they lost.
9. Caddock's husband, Anthony Coletti, has been accused of repeatedly lying to investigators in an attempt to cover up what happened when his wife went missing.
10. The majority of the victims are considering suing the auditors that Melissa hired during her high-flying business days. The lawyers are seeking 15 million dollars from the auditors in any potential court case.
11. The victims are hoping to get back most of their money. The combined with the money they've already received back or will receive back from the receivers' work to date means they could be in a position to get most of their money back.
12. Sarah Steele, one of the victims, has written a book and hosts a podcast about the mind games used by people who run cults. She started asking herself some bigger questions about control but even she couldn't have foreseen the dark manipulation her relative would use on loved ones for her own financial gain.
13. The victims are currently going through a process of financial settlements being made after two and a half years. They are hoping that the curtains are finally closing on the Melissa Caddock melodrama.
14. The victims are figuring out if they're mourning someone and then realizing they're actually mourning the fact that they never really knew that person.
15. The victims still believe that most people in the world are good. They were just really unlucky to have come across the path of someone who wasn't.