A fraudster who pretended to be a registered building surveyor has been ordered to pay a $60,000 penalty and $20,000 in costs for “flagrant” breaches of construction laws.

Khanh Ho pleaded guilty to 16 charges relating to forging documents and signing off fake building permits across nine Victorian construction sites between 2019 and 2021. He pocketed about $30,000 for the work. 

Melbourne Magistrates Court heard he was previously registered as a surveyor, but this was cancelled in 2010 when he was investigated for serious financial misconduct. 

The sentencing magistrate said 49-year-old Ho’s actions were a “flagrant attack” on regulations that ensure community safety. 

The Victorian Building Authority, which uncovered the fraud, says Ho prompted “one of the most complex investigations” in its history. 

CEO and commissioner Anna Cronin says the conviction “sends a strong message to unregistered practitioners – we’re coming after you. Conduct like this undermines confidence in the building industry and those who engage in it should expect serious consequences.”