Vanishing Act

Vanishing Act is the true story of Melissa Caddick – a dishonest Sydney financier operating a Ponzi scheme who disappeared and whose body has never been found – though a training shoe with her foot in it was.

Maybe because of Neighbours it’s hard to take Australian drama too seriously.

In the world of films there were Picnic at Hanging Rock, Breaker Morant, Crocodile Dundee, The Club – all of them respectable films and, of course, Cate Blanchett – not to mention Clive James and Barry Humphries – so maybe I’m being unfair here!

Kate Atkinson narrated and played Melissa Caddick but the writing was not too testing as it’s a true story.

As our Rust financial guru Robert Tickler opines:

“If it’s too good to be true , it probably is.”

But from time immemorial the punters are duped.

The dishonest financier infiltrates the places where the rich hang out, in Melissa Caddick’s case the ski resort of Aspen, Colorado.

They live in the richest part of town – Melissa’s home is in Dover Heights, Rose Bay in Sydney near Bondi Beach – she  dresses extremely well and has all the trappings of wealth.

The problem starts when the investor wants their money returned. You can only get away with paying high returns from funds received and producing false and fraudulent reports for so long.

The first episode showed La Caddick setting up her Ponzi scheme, the second the investigation and the third – on Wednesday – a documentary of what actually happened.

I have a cousin in Rose Bay who, whilst walking her dog on the cliffs, would see Melissa Caddick.

My cousin believed she jumped from those cliffs and took her own life.