A NSW strata manager, Jessica Marrie Carah of Coffs Harbour, has been banned for life and permanently disqualified from the property and strata industry after allegedly defrauding more than $2 million from 66 strata schemes.

NSW Fair Trading has intensified disciplinary actions through a strata and property task force funded by an $8 million government investment to conduct audits anytime, anywhere and clamp down on misconduct.

Enforcement is crucial to lift industry standards, boost consumer confidence, and restore trust in strata management, with a clear rule that trust funds must be kept in separate accounts and used only as directed by owners corporations.

At this stage, no criminal charges have been laid.

Carah now appears on a new “name and shame” register launched by the NSW department to help homeowners, purchasers, and renters review the track records of property agents before engagement.

Fair Trading Commissioner Natasha Mann reiterated that funds held in trust must be used only as directed by the owners corporation and cited the case as justification for removing such individuals from the industry.

Fair Trading NSW alleges Carah fraudulently converted over $2 million through 398 transactions into her personal account between early 2024 and December 2024; her licence was cancelled in December 2024, with employment ending in January 2025.