Sarkis (Sam) Wardan and Burwood Collision Repairs / Burwood Smash Repairs
                                                       Sydney, Australia

                                                                                            
                       
                          Day 1-  Police supervise recovery of customer's held vehicle          Day 2 - another visit by police called in by another client.

Sarkis Wardan, who calls himself Sam, is a racidifist serial conman, liar and compulsive fraudster and thief, with an almost unbelievable nerve to simply steal things and sell them as if they were his own.
Our investigations over several days revealed that his main method of operating is to sell vehicles taken to his panel shop for repair work by advertising them on Gum Tree and pocketing the money while putting off the owner with any number of excuses as to why their car has not been repaired.
Over a three day period our investigator met a dozen or so different people all waiting to met Wardan at his panel shop on Parramatta Rd near the corner of Burwood Rd. All had similar stories. One for example, had purchased a car from one of Wardan's advertisements on Gum Tree. He had paid Wardan $2000 in cash but was given an excuse that the car was not ready for pickup on the day appointed. Some three months later, and there's no sign of the car, and Wardan is not at the panel shop. He rarely is, eluding clients by slipping out the back way. We spoke with another client whose vehicle had been taken to Wardans for repairs some four months prior, and there was no sign of the vehicle anywhere. Another young man's car was in the yard but Wardan refused to allow him to have it towed away. This followed numerous changes in repair quotes to a point where they exceeded the vehicle's value. Wardan then tried to extort money for storage. The young man had the sense to call police who arrived soon afterwards. One of Wardan's employees then opened the always-locked gates and allowed a tow truck in to recover the vehicle.

Waiting in the wings was a car rental company from whom Wardan had apparently rented a vehicle and not returned it after the rental period had expired. Follow-up has revealed that they were able to retrieve the car but not the payment owed and promised, nearly a thousand dollars.

Wardan has been convicted of fraud in the past and has had at least two stints in jail. His former private address is in Desmond Street, Merrylands but our investigations reveal that he has not lived there for a year or so, and his usual work phone number is 02 9715 5911. This number is frequently diverted to a mobile number which he keeps secret. Other numbers we have are 02 9747 5970 and another mobile 0424 248 258