Australian Brothers Face New Charges in $600,000 Dementia Patient Scam
Two siblings accused of defrauding an 88-year-old man are hit with additional charges, including identity theft and possessing stolen funds.
Two brothers accused of stealing more than $600,000 from an 88-year-old man with dementia have been subjected to a series of new charges. George Mensah, 22, and Jesse Mensah, 25, were arrested in July following an investigation by the New South Wales State Crime Command's Financial Crimes Squad.
Police allege the Mensah brothers cold-called potential victims and eventually contacted an 88-year-old man from Paddington. They are accused of posing as Commonwealth Bank employees, gaining access to his online accounts and credit card over the course of a year. During this period, they allegedly depleted the man's life savings, transferring over $600,000 to themselves and others, and purchasing shares.
Initially, George Mensah faced charges including dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception and dealing with proceeds of crime. He has now been charged with two additional counts of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception and 14 counts of dealing with identity information to commit an indictable offense. He also faces three counts of possessing identity information to commit an indictable offense.
Jesse Mensah's initial charges included dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception, knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime, and failing to comply with a digital evidence access order. His updated charges now include two further counts of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception, possessing an unauthorized pistol, seven counts of dealing with identity information to commit an indictable offense, and six counts of possessing identity information for the same purpose.
George Mensah, a sprinter and model, was featured in an advertising campaign for Valour Sport, which supplied uniforms for Australian athletes at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Images of Mensah were removed from the company's website after inquiries were made. Valour Sport stated they were unaware of the accusations against him and that the charges were a matter for Mensah and the police.
A third man, 26-year-old Saidu Samura, was arrested in July and charged with knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime, specifically for allegedly assisting in trading $32,000 of the victim's money to purchase products online.
The investigation, known as Strike Force Borlase, was established in 2025. Detectives executed a search warrant at a unit in Yagoona, leading to the arrest of the Mensah brothers. Detective Superintendent Gordan Arbinja of the Financial Crimes Squad described the alleged actions as an "appalling betrayal of a vulnerable member of our community," noting the perpetrators targeted the victim's vulnerabilities through social engineering and phone calls.
Commonwealth Bank has reportedly reimbursed the elderly man for the full amount lost. The Mensahs and Samura have been granted bail and are scheduled to appear in Burwood Local Court on November 25. Strike Force Borlase's inquiries remain ongoing.