FROM LUXURY TO EXTORTION: HOW A $12OK WATCH COST A CEO $19M

It began with a luxury watch.

Our client, the CEO of a national construction company, purchased an authentic timepiece for $120,000 from a gray-market dealer.  What should have been a one-off indulgence quickly spiralled into something far darker.

The dealer wasn’t just a salesman - he became a friend.  Dinners, family introductions, even shared holidays.  For a man who admitted his life was otherwise “sheltered” and “mundane”, the relationship was intoxicating.  This new friend promised excitement, adventure, and access to a lifestyle he’d never known.

But behind the charm lay something sinister.

A FRIENDSHIP TURNS TO FEAR

The dealer confided in our client: his life was in danger.  Outlaw motorcycle gang members were plotting against him, and the dealer claimed he had already been paying them for the CEO’s “protection”.

The message was chilling: your life is in my hands.

Soon, the demands for money began.

At first, our client believed he had paid $2.4 million over 12 months.  But when he turned to QNA Investigations, we uncovered the devastating truth: $12.1 million had been siphoned in the first year alone - with another $6.7 million in the months that followed.

THE INVESTIGATION

Our team worked relentlessly - uncovering the dealer’s true identity, dissecting thousands of bank transfers and emails, and mapping the flow of millions.

Piece by piece, the deception unravelled.  What started as a luxury watch had become a multimillion-dollar extortion scheme - one that threatened not only our client’s finances, but also his freedom and reputation.

THE TURNING POINT

Armed with evidence, we liaised with NSW Police, secured legal representation for our client, and prepared a comprehensive brief of evidence that exposed the full scale of the fraud.

The result?  The extortion ended.  The dealer’s manipulation collapsed.  And following further police investigation, the man behind it all was arrested.

THE LESSON

This case shows how quickly trust can be weaponised.  A single purchase - a moment of indulgence - triggered a chain of events that cost millions and nearly destroyed a career.

We uncover the truth when deception runs deep.  And when the stakes are this high, the truth is the only thing that can set you free.

NEED CLARITY IN A COMPLEX MATTER?

At QNA Investigations, we deliver facts, not assumptions - helping clients uncover the truth with precision and integrity.  Contact us today on +61 2 9212 5000 or mail@qnainvestigations.com.au.