Police are investigating a scandal in Queensland’s line-dancing community where a father and son allegedly defrauded thousands of dollars from their fellow line dancers.
Brett Jenkins, 37, and Bruce Jenkins, 66, are alleged to have arranged overseas trips and tours for line-dancing festivals, balls and cruises, only to cancel and not provide refunds.
Many of the victims are elderly and vulnerable to financial fraud, and police said some had lost their life savings.
The men, who have been part of the line-dancing community for 15 years, are alleged to have used the trust they built to scam over $120,000 from more than 100 people.
Some victims allegedly paid as much as $10,000 for fraudulent trips and social events. Queensland police said the number of victims was growing daily.
Have you been a victim of this fraudulent activity relating to line dancing events including overseas and domestic travel? Do you recognise this man? We believe he may be able to assist with our inquiries https://t.co/76qa5yWLvN pic.twitter.com/CnDRwuo3bS
— Queensland Police (@QldPolice) April 1, 2019
“For some of these people, it’s their life savings”, said sergeant Ken Rogers. “They’ve saved up for a trip of a lifetime. It’s now never going to happen.”
He said it was only in the last six to 12 months that the men had potentially begun the fraudulent activity, after years building up trust in the community.
Facebook posts from aggrieved customers said the father and son were going through health issues.
The two men remain on the run, and police are appealing for information on their whereabouts.
On Monday, the Queensland Line Dancing Association distanced itself from Brett Jenkins.
“I would like to reiterate that Brett Jenkins is not and has never been a member of our association,” said president Jo Rosenblatt. “We have no affiliation whatsoever with him in his capacity as a line-dance instructor or with his travel company.”
Australian Associated Press contributed to this report
