Missing scammer Melissa Caddick could be hiding in plain sight as a tourist in Bali, according to a bizarre new theory about the whereabouts of the footless con artist published in New Idea.
The magazine reported that a person resembling Caddick was seen “limping” around the popular tourist destination nearly four years after she disappeared from Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
An alleged sighting of the serial scammer took place at a bar in Seminyak, on the southern tip of the island, and was shared on the Melissa Caddick Alive and in Hiding discussion group Facebook page.
One woman wrote that she had “hesitations” about whether to repeat her travel friend’s alleged encounter with Caddick at the restaurant, but did so anyway.
“She met a lady at the Potato Head Beach Club who looked identical to her, but she was wearing a long sarong and had a limp,” the woman wrote.
‘I think there’s a good chance he’s an MC.’
Caddick, who ran a fake financial services company, disappeared in November 2020, a day after ASIC investigators and Australian Federal Police officers raided his Dover Heights home.
The 49-year-old stole about $23 million from investors, mostly family and friends, and was declared dead by a coroner in May last year.
Missing scammer Melissa Caddick (above) could be hiding in plain sight as a tourist in Bali, according to a bizarre new theory about her whereabouts published in New Idea
In February 2021, Caddick’s DNA-matched right foot was found in a shoe washed ashore on a beach south of Tathra, about 500 kilometres from where she was last seen alive.
Caddick’s possible sighting sparked a flurry of responses on the Facebook page from users either supporting or rejecting the idea.
“It’s possible, but how bad was his limp?” one aide asked. “Was it bad, like my foot had been cut off, or not so bad, like I had a blister on my toe?”
Another user had considered how Caddick might have wanted to evade detection at Denpasar International Airport.
“Bali would be one of the easiest places to access; I could get there by boat,” the person wrote.
But the sighting was nothing new to one member of the group who was disappointed.
“I’ve seen her there many times… especially in Kuta,” that member wrote. “It really was her… no doubt about it… a lovely lady, although she did scam a few people.”
Other Facebook users were not convinced that Caddick would choose to start a new life in Bali if she were in fact alive.
An alleged Caddick sighting took place at the Potato Head Beach Club (above) in Seminyak and was shared on the Melissa Caddick Alive and in Hiding Facebook discussion group page.
“I doubt she’s stupid enough to go to Potato Head after her top-notch disappearing act,” wrote one. “There are too many Aussies in Bali for Houdini Caddick to just pop in and have a casual swim.”
Another made a suggestion that might seem obvious: “I wish people would take pictures in an age when 99% of us have a phone.”
Some users of the page, which has almost 9,500 followers, questioned why the original eagle-eyed observer had not contacted police.
“Did you notify any authorities or were you too hesitant?” one asked.
New Idea offered its own assessment of the social media posts and Caddick’s fate.
“Whether or not Caddick was seen in Bali, it’s clear the post reflects a broader sentiment among Australians who continue to speculate about whether she is alive and in hiding,” he said.
