Serial shonky recruitment agency owner charged with fraud

Serial self-promotor Luke Hemmings, owner of a failed recruitment business in Canberra, was charged earlier this week with three fraud offences relating to dishonestly inducing delivery of property worth around $100,000 on the Gold Coast.

Hemmings operated Canberra-based Coceptive Recruitment, which entered liquidation in 2021, owing creditors $760,000, according to the Daily Mail. Hemmings left Canberra for the Gold Coast and set up business as Whitefox Recruitment in Southport last August.

Queensland Police arrested Hemmings following a search warrant at his Southport office, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported.

Hemmings also known as Dene Broadbelt, Harrison Eyles, Dene Harrison, Nic Lloyd and Clay O’Connor, admitted, in 2015 to leaving creditors out of pocket across many failed ventures .

According to a news.com.au article from 2018, “His past dealings have included promoting and selling tickets to bogus music festivals; hiring camera equipment, hotel rooms, limousines and services of small businesses on false work accounts; and luring teens out of school and work with the promise of a dream career before leaving them high and dry.”

Hemmings, then known as Dene Broadbelt, sent a press release to national media informing them of his death, in 2015, as angry creditors from a music festival he promoted were hounding him for payment. When Hemmings was discovered to be alive, he denied sending the email.

In November 2018, Hemmings pled guilty to a charge of using a carriage service to menace, harass, and offend after calling a personal trainer in the early hours of the morning and asking him gratuitous questions about his anatomy before it was dismissed on mental health grounds at a Sydney Local Court.

The magistrate who dismissed the November 2018 charge did so on the condition Hemmings sees an allocated mental health care professional for two years and “takes all medications, strictly as prescribed.”

The shameless nature of Hemmings (not his real name and obviously chosen to be the same as the 5 Seconds of Summer lead singer, so any Google search by name will bury his listings many pages back) is all over the Whitefox website.

Take the post Luke Hemmings wins prestigious CEO Award from only two weeks ago.

I’ll spare you the three minutes of your life you will never get back if you click the link to share a few highlights below.

“…Luke has been honoured with the prestigious title of Most Dedicated Legal Services Recruitment CEO of the Year 2024. This accolade is a testament to his unwavering dedication, exceptional leadership, and the outstanding results he continues to deliver in the legal recruitment sector.

His relentless commitment to excellence has not only propelled the company to new heights but has also set a benchmark for the recruitment industry. This recent honour follows closely on the heels of another remarkable achievement earlier this year, where he was recognised as the Legal Services Recruitment CEO of the Year 2024.

Luke’s journey in the recruitment industry began over three decades ago, and since then, he has been a trailblazer, inspiring countless professionals along the way.”

Notice that the article fails to mention who awarded Hemmings such an honour – which, of course, is deliberate given the whole article is fiction from beginning to end.

More hilarity ensues with the 15 January 2024 article Whitefox Triumphs as APAC Recruitment Brand of the Year 2024 where the delusions of Hemmings are in full view under the sub-heading A Legacy of Success and Innovation:

Our Managing Director, Luke Hemmings, couldn’t hide his pride when he said, “Every year since our inception, we have been recognised on a local, national, and international level. But to be winners two years in a row on a global level is something I am proud of.” His words resonate with the ethos of Whitefox Recruitment – a firm that has consistently pushed the boundaries of excellence”

A post from last September claimed the company “earned the gong of ‘Most Efficient Recruitment Agency – Asia Pacific Region’ at the recent Australian Enterprise Awards” and another post claims “the title of ‘Most Efficient Recruitment Agency Australia & US’ at the esteemed Corporate America Today awards.”

The Australian Enterprise Awards are nothing more than a money-for-awards scheme that seems to invent obscure categories for their many clients to win. A search of the Corporate America Today website finds no mention of Whitefox Recruitment.

A search for Hemmings on Sourcr finds 197 reviews with a 4.33 average rating.

Hemmings’ profile on the Whitefox website makes many claims about his memberships and affiliations, including being a JP and a finalist in various recruitment industry awards. Previously, Hemmings claimed to be an official ambassador for Beyond Blue and Lifeline. Both organisations said the claims were untrue.

When contacted for comment about the latest charges, Hemmings was quoted by Daily Mail Australia as saying, “I exercise my right to silence. Please confer with my lawyer for comment.”

Hemmings will appear in Southport Magistrates Court on August 8.

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