Port Douglas Spa owner targeted in $60,000 international fraud spree
HOLIDAY FRAUD
A San Francisco woman has been arrested following a luxury Port Douglas holiday where she allegedly charged more than $60,000 USD to a stolen credit card, leaving a local spa among the victims of the fraudulent spending spree.
Manon Zanelli, owner of the Spa at Oaks, was left out of pocket after the woman’s payment was disputed by the bank.
The suspect, U.S. national Naghmeh Novbakhtian, was taken into custody by San Francisco authorities upon her return to the U.S. following a two-week spending spree across the Cairns and Port Douglas region.
On March 20, Ms Zanelli provided a spa treatment to a woman she described as “nice” and “chatty”, but she lost nearly $500 after the suspect used the card to prepay for treatments and fraudulent tips.
Claiming technical difficulties with her physical card, Novbakhtian requested an online invoice to prepay for her visit.
While the service cost $380, the suspect paid a total of $480 across two transactions, including a $100 tip as a gesture of thanks for the owner staying late.
“I later found a press release from the San Francisco Police Department,” Ms Zanelli said.
“The credit card company had flagged the unusual spending, and the card owner, her former employer, reported it stolen.”
Despite the financial loss, Ms Zanelli is taking action by filing a police report and reaching out to the San Francisco Police Department.
She hopes to be added to the official victim list to secure restitution if a conviction is made
By speaking out, Ms Zanelli aims to warn other local businesses and luxury resorts to check their records for similar disputes.
She is encouraging fellow business owners to collaborate and share information, ensuring that international authorities recognise the full extent of the fraud.
