ASIC acts against the Goldenbergs SMSF scheme
ASIC has commenced proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia and obtained interim injunctions against Perth-based Superfunded Pty Ltd and its sole director, Mr Max David Goldenberg, of Currambine and its sole shareholder Mark Travis Goldenberg of Claremont.
The proceedings concern their promotion of a business that encourages people to set up self-managed super funds to invest in the Superfunded Loan Investment Trust, which lends money to home buyers for their house deposits.
Neither Superfunded nor the Goldenbergs holds an Australian Financial Services licence and ASIC alleges that Superfunded and the Goldenbergs are therefore unlawfully carrying on a financial services business.
On 9 November 2017, the Federal Court of Australia made the following interim orders:
- restraining Superfunded and the Goldenbergs from providing financial services;
- restraining Superfunded and the Goldenbergs from having access to client or investor assets;
- prohibiting advertising, promoting or marketing financial services or products in relation to the investors and potential investors of the Superfunded Loan Investment Trust;
- for the preservation of assets; and
- for financial disclosure.
The interim orders will remain in force until further order. The matter has otherwise been adjourned to a date to be fixed with liberty to any party to apply to the Court on 24 hours' notice.
Mark Goldenberg is the Trustee of the Superfunded Loan Investment Trust.
Mark Goldenberg was permanently banned from providing financial services in May 2009.
Mark Goldenberg was sentenced to three years' imprisonment in 2011 following an ASIC prosecution for misusing $1.5 million of investor funds for his own benefit.
