Ali Faraj, who used the aliases Ali Mousselmani, Kamil Kassem and Kamil Mousselmani, was
found guilty of lying about holding a builders licence and accepting payment without completing jobs.

Mr Faraj was fined $60,000 and ordered to pay $193,500 in compensation to three affected
customers he ripped off.

Between October 2017 and February 2018 Mr Faraj used a fake QBCC builders licence number in trade advertisements for his services.

He accepted payment totalling $204,000 for three jobs. An estimated $193,500 of this was not completed.

Some his subcontractors removed materials they had installed because they had not been paid.

Fair Trading acting executive director Craig Turner said traders must not accept payment
for products and services they do not intend to supply.

“If you see a licence number in an advertisement, conduct a QBCC licence search to ensure
you’re dealing with someone legitimate,” Mr Turner said.

“Be vigilant, know your consumer rights and do your research before handing over large
sums of money.

“Remember to source multiple quotes and only use reputable traders that don’t insist on
large upfront payments.”

A list of businesses and traders that the OFT advises to avoid can be found on the OFT
website at www.qld.gov.au/fairtrading.