KEY POINTS:
They called May Wang the Dream Maker.
Through her string of businesses, she could sort accommodation, find property, even organise film industry work.
Now the Serious Fraud Office is investigating Ms Wang's various enterprises, which are believed to owe millions in taxes and have left creditors and investors facing debts in excess of a million dollars.
SFO chief executive Grant Liddell says those owed money by Ms Wang should get in touch "if they have information that they think we might be interested in".
Ms Wang is a director or former director of 18 companies including Dynasty Group, Universal Finance & Investments NZ, Sun Management, Credit Swiss Funds Management NZ and MW Advisory NZ.
Dynasty Group Ltd went into liquidation on October 3, and Ms Wang failed to attend the liquidator's office for a formal examination on October 13.
Inquiries have established that she purchased a one-way ticket to Hong Kong on October 10.
One complaint to the SFO alleged that Ms Wang used "fraudulent" and "deceitful" methods that included arranging for mortgages using unwitting investors' names.
One complainant is now saddled with a mortgage debt of $1.04 million.
"She transferred a second mortgage to two finance companies without my knowledge ... I am not the only person as a victim. There are quite a few people who have been trapped on other plots as well," the complainant said.
The Weekend Herald spoke to two investors who claimed to be victims of Ms Wang, whom they described as charming, confident and deeply religious and an active member of Botany's Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple.
Investor Ron Huang said he trusted Ms Wang because she was a Buddhist.
Mr Huang - who described Ms Wang as the Dream Maker - invested his life savings in a South Island film project, believing it to have backing from Hollywood, Bollywood and China.
"However, I only found out after I parted with $200,000 that there hadn't even been any intention to even complete the project," said Mr Huang, a retired Taiwanese businessman.
The proposed $20 million, four-storey film studio stalled after a failure to get consents to build next to the Dynasty Methven Resort Hotel, which was co-owned by Ms Wang.
Helen Tait, a former assistant general manager at the hotel, which has been closed since April, said Ms Wang had also used the hotel at Mt Hutt village to bring in unqualified Chinese workers.
An advertising executive who did not want to be named said he was left with debts of over $1 million after Ms Wang convinced him to put two Dannemora properties in his name.
"She told me it was to help me build financial credibility with the banks," he said. The two houses will probably go to mortgagee auction.
