Auckland Painting Scam Leads to Arrest of UK National and Active Manhunt

An Auckland couple has been defrauded of $27,000 in a deceptive home improvement scam, resulting in a guilty plea from a foreign national in the Auckland District Court. On May 21, 2026, UK national Andrew Yeshua Glauberman, 21, admitted to two fraud charges and several shoplifting offences. The fraudulent scheme was conducted under the banner of a bogus, unregistered entity named Everlast Home Improvements. Glauberman’s associate, 29-year-old Thomas Jay Taylor, fled the country prior to the court proceedings, prompting the New Zealand Police to obtain an active warrant for his arrest.

The scam was initiated in early March when an advertising flyer for Everlast Home Improvements was distributed to the letterbox of a residential property in the Auckland suburb of Mt Albert. Attracted by the marketing material, the homeowners engaged the services of the unregistered business for a residential painting job. After agreeing to the terms, the Auckland couple paid a deposit of $27,000 directly to the operators. The workers performed only minimal sanding work over a two-day period before completely disappearing from the site, leaving the contracted painting project entirely uncompleted.

Following the disappearance, Glauberman and Taylor were apprehended by Counties Manukau police in connection with separate dishonesty offences. Further inquiries by the Auckland City Financial Crime Unit linked the individuals directly to the Mt Albert painting scam. With Glauberman now in custody and convicted, his sentencing has been scheduled for September 11 in the Auckland District Court, where he faces the prospect of custodial sentences and subsequent deportation.

Police Target Transnational Scam Networks

This case represents the fourteenth prosecution within the past three years led by Auckland City fraud detectives involving foreign nationals operating recurring, revolving scam schemes across the region. These operations frequently target vulnerable households with unsolicited offers of home maintenance, gardening, or painting work, extracting significant upfront financial payments before abandoning the projects.

The New Zealand Police are working closely with Immigration New Zealand to identify and intercept foreign nationals who enter the country with the intention of executing these transient fraud schemes. Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Bolton emphasised that local authorities are taking a firm stance against international offenders who seek to exploit the community.

New Zealand is not a soft target for scammers. Those who travel here to exploit the good nature of our citizens will face the full force of the law, including prosecution, imprisonment, and deportation.

Challenges in Deterrence and Enforcement

While individual prosecutions are a critical component of the national response, law enforcement agencies acknowledge that significant challenges remain in deterring sophisticated transnational fraud. The rapid departure of Thomas Jay Taylor illustrates the ease with which offenders can exit the jurisdiction, presenting immense difficulties for authorities trying to bring all participants in these schemes to justice. The cross-border nature of these networks makes tracking illicit funds and apprehending fugitives a complex task for the Auckland City Financial Crime Unit.