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Insurance

Insurer dobs in adviser

Wednesday 27th of August 2025

An insurer dobbed in an adviser who submitted 15 insurance policy applications on behalf of 27 non-existent individuals, earning commissions totalling $260,937.

Consequently the adviser, Le Zhou (also known as Eric) and his company, Les Vela, have been de-registered from the Financial Service Providers Register and Le Zhou, has been prevented from re-registration for five years.

“The practice of submitting insurance applications for people who do not exist is known as ‘tombstoning’. Behaviour like this results in the erosion of the public’s confidence in the financial advice industry,” FMA Executive Director for Response and Enforcement Louise Unger says.

“Under current weaker economic conditions we are seeing an increase in fraudulent activity by financial advisers, particularly in relation to insurances and mortgages," she says.

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