Two people have been charged over an alleged ATM ponzi scheme that defrauded investors out of almost $1 million.
Northern Territory Police said the scheme involved customers buying into a share of an ATM that did not exist or was owned by someone else.
It is believed investors have been scammed out of about $800,000 to date.
"What's actually happening is the scheme doesn't exist … they're selling ATMs to people that they don't own," Detective Superintendent Karen Sanderson told ABC Radio Darwin.
"They provide a return to investors that initially seems quite lucrative.
"That can generate more business if you like … but what happens is new people who come on provide the dividends to the older investors … and that's how it works until the whole thing starts to fall apart."
A 32-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman were arrested on Thursday in Darwin's northern suburbs and charged with seven counts of criminal deception.
Police believe there may be other victims of the alleged scam, but say those who have used the ATMs in question are not affected.
"We think it's been over the last two years or so," Detective Superintendent Sanderson said.
"At the moment we're aware of $800,000 being involved, but we anticipate the scheme is much bigger than that, bigger than we thought … and much more money involved."
It's not the first time investors, who buy into ATMs for the fees they generate, have been left out of pocket by such a scheme.
In a separate incident, a 55-year-old Wulagi woman has been charged after allegedly defrauding a cancer victim out of $8,500 by selling him a vehicle that did not belong to her.
Police are also investigating several other outstanding matters across the greater Darwin region relating to unlawful entries, credit card and cheque fraud.
