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Australian regulators and corporate representatives have intervened to stop an apparent attempt to obtain a possibly fraudulent $2.3 million tax refund linked to a company involved in the Queensland Alumina Limited (QAL) joint venture.
Authorities allege that an individual, identified in documents as Daniel Alexandrov, gained unauthorised access to certain digital systems associated with Rusal Australia Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of UC RUSAL and co-owner of QAL alongside Rio Tinto.
Staff at the firm identified suspicious activity and contacted QAL and Victoria Police, preventing the key from being reissued and blocking further access to the company’s corporate registry information.
Subsequently, investigators believe the same individual accessed the company’s Australian Taxation Office (ATO) online account, removed the legitimate account administrator, and changed the nominated banking details before submitting a refund claim of approximately $2.3 million. The ATO initially released a payment of about $81,000, but the transaction was paused after internal systems detected irregularities. The remainder of the claim was frozen, and a formal review commenced.
Authorities are examining whether the unauthorised access was facilitated through a myGovID credential obtained during a short period in late March, when ASIC records temporarily listed Alexandrov as a director of Alumina and Bauxite Company Ltd (ABC), the holding entity through which UC RUSAL maintains its 20% interest in QAL.
In response, the ATO has referred the matter for criminal assessment, and several government registers — including the Australian Business Register, ASIC and the Personal Property Securities Register — have cancelled or withdrawn documents linked to attempted changes of ownership or control. These documents sought to register Vostin Pty Ltd, a company associated with Alexandrov, as the beneficial owner of Rusal Australia’s interest in QAL.
ASIC has stated it is preparing material for referral to federal and state law-enforcement agencies. The investigation is ongoing.
QAL, a major alumina producer and significant employer in the Gladstone region, has confirmed it is cooperating fully with authorities and has initiated additional internal reviews of access and governance processes. ABC, the holding company for UC RUSAL’s QAL stake, has also indicated it is assisting investigators and undertaking internal checks.
No charges have yet been laid, and investigators have not disclosed Alexandrov’s current location.
The incident highlights the increasing sophistication of unauthorised access attempts targeting corporate and government digital systems, and the importance of coordinated responses between private-sector entities and regulatory agencies to maintain the integrity of Australia’s financial and corporate infrastructure.
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