ACCC v Dominique Grubisa

You can find updates on this case here.

As the date for hearing approaches, here’s some background about Dominique Grubisa.

On 18th March 2024, the Federal Court (Sydney) will start hearing the ACCC’s case against Dominique Grubisa and Master Wealth Control (trading as DG Institute).  Master Wealth Control was owned jointly by Grubisa and her husband Kevin and more recently by a company controlled by Kevin.  See ACCC’s statement provided to the Court

The ACCC alleges that Grubisa made misleading representations in relation to Real Estate Rescue program and Master Wealth Control program. 

The three specific misrepresentations alleged by the ACCC are:

  • if a bank repossesses and sells a home, the homeowner loses all their equity because “banks don’t give change”
  • the Vestey Trust was “bulletproof”, “impenetrable” and would result in students being “unable to be effectively pinned down by creditors”
  • the Vestey Trust structure had been tested and upheld as effective by the Full Federal Court of Australia in case Sharrment.

These three alleged misrepresentations were made when selling courses and products.  Her conduct has also been of concern to other regulators, and it is my opinion that much of the content of the courses and manuals was incorrect or unethical.  

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Dominique Grubisa’s AAT appeal successful – but confirms her disgraceful conduct.

Dominique Grubisa’s appeal against a ban by ASIC have resulted in ASIC’s banning orders being set aside (10 October 2023), however the detailed decision confirms ASIC’s original findings when it placed the ban.

ASIC placed a ban on Dominique Grubisa from providing financial or credit advice in April 2022. 

The Deputy President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT), Bernard McCabe,  was satisfied that grounds existed to make the banning orders.  However, he found that Grubisa’s “problematic behaviour” were issues for a different decision-maker and a ban wouldn’t “further legitimate regulatory interests”.  

The full decision includes details of Grubisa’s misconduct, but a short summary follows.

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Lead generation and financial services advertising 

April 2025 update: While Facebook ads for this type of advertising has reduced, ASIC has been warning about lead generation for financial services. ASIC has “detailed how [a number of failed funds, including Venture Egg]  had relied on an online super “health check” to grab customer details at the end of a short survey which circumvents anti-hawking laws, with this data then handed over to advisers who will offer a follow-up contact, eventually putting clients into the funds.”.  Source professionalplanner.com.au

Facebook is full of financial service advertising (including financial advice and debt management) where the financial service isn’t identified, and even the advertisers may use a false name.

If these advertisements are misleading – and some are – it can be very difficult to identify the name of the advertiser, or the business/es that are providing the advertised services.  

Read about my experiences following up on these ads here , here and here – and this one which appeared to link to a scam.

September 2023 – I have added one more, a property investment firm promoting superannuation reviews.

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Rick Otton – the aftermath

Rick Otton has had a lasting impact on some of his students, and similar risks are there for students of other wealth mentors, including Dominique Grubisa. Also see ‘Rick Otton what harm did he do?’

Property guru Rick Otton didn’t tell Sheree Becker to commit fraud.  (Update: Becker is on bail pending an appeal in 2024). However, a large part of Otton’s dogma was aimed at conditioning students like Becker to reject any views that challenged his teaching.  This included opinions of friends, family, lawyers and government agencies.   

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“Heaps of houses and heaps of money!”

Update: Sheree Becker is on bail pending an appeal to the Supreme Court in 2024.

Sheree Becker, one of Otton’s “advanced mentoring students” has been found guilty of seven charges of obtaining financial advantage by deception.  (Update – Sentenced 29/11 to 3.5 years jail, minimum 15 months).   Feted by Otton (he referred to her as “advanced mentoring student” and “Doctor of Real Estate”), Becker contributed to his podcasts, provided testimonials for his book and appeared on stage at his seminars – telling the audience “heaps of houses and heaps of money”. 

Becker’s attendance at Rick Otton seminars was mentioned in court – noting that the principles behind Otton’s teachings were “preying on those in distress”.  

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Dominique Grubisa prohibited from legal practice

On 22 June 2022, the Victorian regulator for lawyers announced that Grubisa “no longer holds a practising certificate in Victoria” and is “not entitled to engage in legal practice anywhere in Australia”.

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Dominique Grubisa banned by ASIC for 4 years.

ASIC has banned Grubisa for four years from “engaging in credit activity, providing financial services, performing any function in a credit entity, or controlling a credit entity or financial services business”

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Are you a “vulture” if you deal with distressed property?

Also see, Dominique Grubisa and DG Institute, Dominique Grubisa and DG Institute – Part 2, Dominique Grubisa, Master Wealth Control & Vestey Trust, https://thenaysayer.net/media-dominique-grubisa-dg-institute/

Dominique Grubisa claims that “there is a misconception that taking over distressed properties is preying on struggling families”, and she says that buying a property from a financially distressed owner doesn’t make you a “vulture”.   See other posts about Dominique Grubisa / DG Institute.

This is not a legal question, but an issue of your ethics and values.  I don’t think buying a house cheaply makes you a “vulture”, but my view is that taking advantage of an owner’s vulnerability, ignorance and/or trust is preying on them  – and some of Grubisa’s teaching encourages that.

There are many others profiting from distressed home owners – not just Dominique Grubisa students.  Once a bank issues repossession proceedings, the owners are contacted by numerous businesses (>10 letters is common) wanting to profit from their situation, including a number from Grubisa students competing for attention.  Some of these businesses hope to find a cheap property, others want to offer various services (including debt negotiation), often taking a caveat over the property so they are paid when it is sold. Many of these are labelled “debt vultures” by consumer advocates.

So what, in my view, could make a ‘distressed property’ deal unethical?

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Dominique Grubisa, Master Wealth Control & Vestey Trust

See my other posts about Dominique Grubisa.

Update:  Claims about Master Wealth Control / Vestey Trust protecting all assets have been found to be misleading by the Federal Court (April 2024).  Statements about a court decisions (Sharrment) supporting these claims have also been found to be misleading.

Dominique Grubisa and her companies offer a range of courses and products, including a course on finding ‘below market value’ properties and negotiating deals with distressed sellers (which I write about here), a renovations course, debt management, legal services, loans, insurance – and her Master Wealth Control (MWC) product which purportedly protects your wealth from governments, bankruptcy, banks, individuals and creditors.

This MWC product (costing about $10,000) has ‘found its moment’ during the COVID19 pandemic.  Unlike some other DG Institute (DGI) products, it doesn’t rely on live seminars, and COVID provides just the right environment to increase people’s anxiety and sell a solution.

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Dominique Grubisa and DG Institute – Part 2

Read an overview of my concerns about Grubisa’s Real Estate Rescue technique here.

Also Are you a Vulture if you Buy Distressed property?

This post considers some issues in more detail.

DG Banks Dont Give Change

These are my views on some content of Grubisa’s seminars and videos.

Grubisa is a lawyer – I’m not – but these issues may raise questions that you want to check with Grubisa – or get your own legal advice about.

Grubisa promotes the fact that some of her strategies are new, for example she says about her Real Estate Rescue program “The process has never been taught or practised before in Australia”.   When there is an unusual application of any law, it can mean that it has not been thoroughly tested in a court, and therefore the legal situation may be unclear.

Some strategies are presented in a way that links them to recent legislative reforms.

National Consumer Credit Code (NCCC) Regulations (2009)

Grubisa mentions the NCCC in relation to her “takeover” strategy – which involves students locating “motivated” vendors, controlling the property by way of an irrevocable power of attorney, a signed blank land transfer and other documents;  and taking over mortgage payments until the house is sold for a price determined by the student.

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