Melissa Caddick

I watched episodes two and three of these programme about the disappearance of Melissa Caddick – and the documentary on Thursday – and at times it was hard to differentiate between fact and fiction.

I cannot believe that so many suckers were taken in by the fraudster. She had no licence and her reports of share transactions were forged

On a daily basis, either by email, personal contact or dubious recommendations I am offered mouth-watering interest for investors funds and metaphorically and physically consign these to the bin.

I have always done my own investing, occasionally cross-checking with reliable financiers.

Such fraudsters operate by identifying a victim, making early pay-outs from investors’ money to convince the victim and others of their credibility and thereby acquiring this mythical reputation.

Aside from her house and offshore deposits, Melissa Caddick could only acquire worthless consumer luxury items.

My own view is that – however much people enjoy a conspiracy theory – Melissa Caddick is dead.

It is possible that a gangster had her thrown over a cliff but, most likely, she realised the game was up and jumped over the cliff to end it all.

This happened after she was raided, so how could she have had her foot removed and replaced by a prosthetic limb – as the programme stated?

It would require sophisticated surgery, admission to a hospital and records. This was the weak link in that story.

Nor only do people love a conspiracy theory but any so-called expert luxuriating in the publicity will come forward to support it.

They certainly found a few in the documentary.

In my opinion Sydney came out worst. I’m no expert, but I was unimpressed by both the police investigation and the judicial process.

The only certainly is that Melissa Caddick was a totally amoral fraudster, prepared to rob her family, close friends and clients of their money and the latter would have every motive to see her dead.