Sofiia Starchevska
Wentworth Point,New South Wales
Summary
Senior Investigator with experience in property investigations, specialising in assessing financial records to identify misappropriation of trust finds and irregularities. Experienced in gathering evidence through engagement with external stakeholders. Confident in interpreting and applying Property and Stock Agents Act 2002 and associated Regulations to identify breaches, discrepancies and non-compliance within real estate industry.
Overview
6
6
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Investigator
Customer Service NSW - Fair Trading
Parramatta, NSW
06.2025 - Current
- Lead and conduct a property-specific investigation, mainly focusing on the misappropriation of trust funds and financial fraud within the real estate industry;
- Interpret and apply property-related regulatory frameworks, such as the Property and Stock Agents Act 2002 and the Property and Stock Agents Regulation 2022;
- Issue of statutory notices for evidence collection purposes;
- Assess and analyse financials such as Trust Statements, Auditor's Reports and Real Estate Ledgers;
- Reconstruction of events/ledgers;
- Interpret financial reports from external parties (ie forensic accountants, managers and liquidators);
- Produce comprehensive investigation reports and escalate matters to external units including Disciplinary Action and Legal Units;
- Conduct proactive and reactive compliance inspections to ensure fair trading.
Insolvency Accountant
CasCap Advisory
Sydney
06.2024 - 06.2025
- Conduct forensic financial analysis to trace assets and debtors.
- Prepare regulatory reports, financial reconciliations.
- Manage corporate insolvency estates such as liquidations, voluntary administrations, DOCA, receiverships and personal bankruptcies with legal and government bodies for regulatory adherence.
- Issue statutory notices to obtain financial records
- Conduct detailed insolvency investigations by analysing financial statements, bank records, and balance sheets to trace assets and uncover irregularities.
- Collaborate with external stakeholders such as legal professionals, creditors, and government agencies to ensure compliance.
- Distribution of dividends to secured and unsecured creditors
- Conduct billings and bank reconciliations on a monthly basis.
Senior Lead - Compliance & Dispute Resolution
Vantage Markets
Sydney
01.2020 - 01.2024
- Led a dispute resolution and compliance team of 15, ensuring fair resolutions of financial and regulatory disputes (AFCA)
- Developed internal compliance frameworks and case management protocols.
- Investigated high-risk transactions and financial fraud cases, ensuring AML/CTF compliance and regulatory reporting.
- Liaised with ASIC, AFCA, and internal risk teams to address chargeback disputes, trade execution issues, and financial misrepresentation cases.
- Conducted compliance training sessions, enhancing regulatory knowledge across teams.
- Policy development.
- Conducted AML/CTF investigations into suspicious financial activities, ensuring compliance with Australian regulatory standards.
- Managed complex dispute cases related to financial products, ensuring fair and transparent resolutions.
- Oversaw KYC procedures, fraud detection protocols, and risk mitigation measures to prevent financial misconduct.
- Reduced client reimbursement losses by 10% through process improvements and fraud prevention measures.
- Handled chargeback disputes and trading investigations.
- Liaised with internal departments to resolve complex disputes.
- Provided high-level customer support while ensuring adherence to financial compliance policies.
- Assisted in client onboarding, KYC verification, and transaction monitoring, ensuring risk-free account operations.
Education
MASTERS OF ACCOUNTING -
King's Own Institute
12.2019
BACHELOR OF APPLIED FINANCE -
Macquarie University
12.2017
Certificate IV - Real Estate
Australian College of Professionals
Skills
- Property investigations
- Application of regulatory frameworks
- Evidence based reporting
- Fraud investigations
- Fund tracing
- Complaints handling
- Statutory notice issuance
- Financial analysis
- Problem solving
- Dispute resolution
Timeline
Senior Investigator
Customer Service NSW - Fair Trading
06.2025 - Current
Insolvency Accountant
CasCap Advisory
06.2024 - 06.2025
Senior Lead - Compliance & Dispute Resolution
Vantage Markets
01.2020 - 01.2024
MASTERS OF ACCOUNTING -
King's Own Institute
BACHELOR OF APPLIED FINANCE -
Macquarie University
Certificate IV - Real Estate
Australian College of Professionals