Jan.24, 2010

Corporate regulators have launched an inquiry after a year 8 student engineered a $200,000 money laundering scam through some of Australia's leading banks.

The boy, 17, from the NSW South Coast, who cannot be named for legal reasons, obtained dozens of bank accounts and debit cards to aid a three-year crime spree. When his mother begged the banks to ban him, they ignored her or refused to discuss it.

''They allowed a juvenile to launder excessive amounts of cash through accounts without any scrutiny. To this day, he's treated as a valued customer,'' she said.

In 2007, she found the diary of her son, then 14, listing thousands of dollars worth of frauds involving non-existent laptops, mobile phones and watches sold on eBay. Successful bidders deposited money into the boy's accounts.

On some days, he raked in up to $6000. In turn, he began living like a Hollywood playboy. He booked a $4300-a-night penthouse overlooking Sydney Harbour and hired limousines to transport him between home and the beach.

The mother said: ''In 2007, my son strolled into the Commonwealth Bank with his birth certificate and a friend over the age of 18. When that friend claimed to be his guardian, the bank gave him an account. It was the beginning of everything.''

Westpac, the Bank of Queensland, ANZ, Credit Union Australia, NAB and the Hume Building Society have all since opened cheque and visa debit accounts under the boy's name.

''My son has another scam,'' she said. ''He puts a small amount of cash on a debit card, then makes large withdrawals of up to $1500. The flaw is the banks let you go $1500 overdrawn before they close the account. Once that happens, he opens another.''

In 2008, the teen was charged with eight counts of fraud. While on bail, he reoffended 10 times. Yet to this day he has served only a week in detention. His mother feared the only way to stop him was to contact all the banks.

''I told them my child was involved in a major ongoing credit card fraud and expressed concern about the ease in which he obtained unlimited accounts without my consultation. The Commonwealth Bank was the only institution to respond.''

In a letter dated February 12, 2009, it denied any wrongdoing, adding: ''Unfortunately, due to privacy constraints, the bank cannot release further details.''

The boy continues to live the high life. ''Sometimes it's day spas, on other occasions it's lavish shopping sprees. He returns with Louis Vuitton luggage, Versace clothes, Prada watches. What my son needs right now is a psychologist - and for the banks to accept liability.''

ASIC has said the case is receiving ''careful consideration''.

A Commonwealth Bank spokesman said that, when the boy originally applied, both he and the consenting adult satisfied the bank's criteria.

NSW Police Senior Constable Dave Henderson feels differently.

He said: ''He will reoffend. The Commonwealth Bank should seriously consider any decision to grant him any sort of account.''