It was a mysterious moment in the hit Paramount+ streaming drama, Fake – when the love rat character preying on actor Asher Keddie’s character alluded to how he had allegedly been scammed himself.
Now the real life true story behind the moment can be revealed – and it’s proof that truth can be stranger than fiction. The alleged scammer can be revealed as the big brother of Sydney socialite Hollie Nasser, Timothy Alford.
Alford’s alleged $6m con on another conman – romance scammer Sean Lander (played in the show by David Wenham) – went sour when Lander posted a creepy online threat about Alford’s family.
Details of Alford’s run-in with Lander have now resurfaced after it was revealed late last year that the FBI has launched an investigation into fraud allegations against Alford.
The $50million embezzlement probe spans two countries and involves alleged scams against US multi-millionaires and the ex-wife of a French president.
And it’s just the latest chapter in an increasingly-tangled story for a family that has repeatedly been at the centre of scandal and intrigue in recent years.
In 2021, Hollie Nasser became a central part of Sydney ‘s biggest love scandal when she ran off with her best friend’s husband
Socialite Hollie Nasser’s big brother Tim Alford allegedly has a string of debts, but he was once threatened by a notorious conman
The Nassers, left, and the Aitkens, right, socialised together as wealthy power couples, with Ellie and Hollie feted as leading lights of Sydney’s social circuit
Newcastle-bred venture capitalist Alford, 41, lived a quieter life as Hollie’s lesser-known big brother when she suddenly hit the headlines three years ago.
She became embroiled in a messy love triangle with her best mate’s husband, investment banker Charlie Aitken, who was still married to corporate lawyer, Ellie.
Close friends Ellie and Hollie, 38, were feted as leading lights of Sydney’s social circuit, regularly photographed at functions and charity events.
Along with Hollie’s then-husband, millionaire publican Chris Nasser, all four had socialised together as wealthy power couples.
But when Hollie and Charlie’s affair became public, Mr Nasser promptly withdrew his $7.5million investment in Mr Aitken’s fund management company, Aitken Investment Management.
The firm had previously attracted investors such as Channel 7’s multi-billionaire owner, Kerry Stokes. In November 2021, Mr Nasser quit the board.
Despite the high stakes, Hollie’s romance with Charlie Aitken later broke down, and she moved on to date the managing director of eastern suburbs-based Saxons IT, Marshal de Saxe.
Elsewhere in Sydney, another love drama turned sour had played out, with conman Sean Lander exposed as a love rat.
He had become romantically involved with journalist, Stephanie Wood, to whom he had portrayed himself as a retired architect with a sheep property.
David Wenham as the love rat who duped the journalist played by Asher Keddie in the TV show, Fake
Love rat Sean Lander, who was played by David Wenham on TV in Fake, attends court after being found guilty of stalking Hollie Nasser’s brother
What seemed like an exhilarating romance with a compassionate, loving, and truthful man foundered over 16 months amid his frequent no-shows, bizarre excuses and cancellations of dates.
Wood discovered the man she fell in love with was actually an undischarged bankrupt with a criminal record who was involved with another woman.
Her 2019 book Fake, in which she referred to him by the pseudonym Joe, was turned into a gripping Paramount+ TV drama earlier this year.
It starred Wenham in the role inspired by Lander and Keddie playing a character based on Wood.
But the year after the book was released, Lander himself was accused of menacing Nasser’s brother, Tim Alford.
The two men had a history.
‘End up like McGurk’: Chilling messages aired in court
Lander would tell Downing Centre Local Court that in 2016 he did a property deal with Alford, who was supposed to pay a $6 million deposit but sent him a forgery instead.
As a consequence, he said, he lost the property and the equity he built into it. He has spent years unsuccessfully pursuing the funds.
Alford has since denied the $6million deposit ever took place.
In March 2020, Lander was accused of menacing Alford by sending him an uncaptioned photograph of a large man in a hoodie standing outside the home of Alford’s mother, Kerrie, facing towards the gate of the property.
The text message preceding the photo included the sinister phrase ‘last chance’.
Ellie Aitken and then husband Charlie before the 2021 love scandal
Embattled financier Charlie Aitken is seen picking up his former business partner’s wife, Holle Nasser, also his estranged wife Eliie’s former BBF for a Sunday afternoon date in December 2021
Hollie Nasser with her former husband, millionaire publican Chris Nasser
In April 2021, Lander admitted to the threat in court but said he was acting in ‘self-defence’.
He said he had sent the image in the mistaken belief the home was Alford’s, as it was the address Alford gave over the soured $6million business deal.
Magistrate Jennifer Atkinson found Lander guilty of using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend, but she accepted that he did not know he was threatening Mrs Alford in doing so.
She sentenced Lander, 58, to a two-year community corrections order, saying a reasonable person would regard the image as ‘menacing, harassing and offensive’.
She also read out a large volume of ‘very robust’ email and text exchanges between Lander and Mr Alford ‘so the flavour of the interactions of the parties is clear’.
In the first message, sent on February 28, 2020 via WhatsApp, Alford tells Lander his claim is ‘BS’ and ‘beyond crazy’, and that ‘I have never met you, had any dealings with you’.
Lander responded: ‘You are certainly the most extraordinary liar.’
Two hours later Alford told Lander he can get his wife’s number in five minutes and ‘I wonder what she would think of all this.’
After further hostile messages, Alford told Lander, ‘You will end up like McGurk, dead, the way you do business.’
Alford had previously been pursued by failed property developer Ron Medich over an alleged $300,000 unpaid loan.
Medich is currently serving a 39-year sentence for the ‘execution-style murder’ of his rival Michael McGurk, for non-payment of money.
Alford has denied ever owing Medich money.
Nine newspapers have alleged that Alford has now left a trail of debts related to the the FBI investigation, which he denies.
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