One of Australia's most notorious scam artists is continuing to run a business that rips off vulnerable students while he is out on bail appealing his conviction and sentence.

Key points: ABC investigation uncovers evidence a convicted fraudster is continuing to take tens of thousands of dollars off foreign students

ABC investigation uncovers evidence a convicted fraudster is continuing to take tens of thousands of dollars off foreign students He promises them visas and jobs, but they never eventuate and one woman found herself deported without a visa

He promises them visas and jobs, but they never eventuate and one woman found herself deported without a visa Students say federal immigration authorities have failed to act against Eddie Kang despite complaints, which Kang says are "unfounded"

Eddie Kang was sentenced to 12 months in prison in March 2017 after he was convicted of 22 counts of fraud and misleading conduct involving 11 foreign students who paid his companies to secure 457 visas.

The jobs and the visas never eventuated, and the Korean-born businessman refused to refund the students' money including payments worth tens of thousands of dollars.

One of Kang's bail conditions states he must not "file any visa applications using a company of which he is sole director".

An ABC investigation has uncovered evidence the convicted fraudster continues to take money off foreign students under the false promise he will secure them visas and sponsored employment.

According to a release from Fair Trading NSW he had been doing that in association with a company owned by another Korean-born businessman Yoon Seok "Joseph" Choi.

"I think he is just laughing at the Australian community and the Australian laws," Karl Konrad, a migration agent who claims up to a hundred of Kang's clients had come into his office seeking help, said.

The ABC has spoken to 10 people who said they had signed contracts with Kang since he was convicted of fraud.

Many have handed over their life savings. All were unaware of his convictions at the time and are dismayed that Australian authorities have allowed him to continue to run his operation while he is out on bail.

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One of Kang's recent victims deported

Marjan Nabavi signed a contract with Kang six months after the Sydney businessman was sentenced to prison. His distinctive signature graces each page of the contract.

Ms Nabavi had lived in Australia for six years. Two of her brothers have citizenship and she was desperate to stay.

When the Iranian's visa application was rejected she searched online for migration agents to help with her appeal. She soon found herself in Kang's office in North Sydney.

"He said 'I'll give you a guarantee that we will find a job and you will get citizenship'," she said.

"He said, 'In case you don't like the job we will give your money back'."

Sydney businessman Eddie Kang has rejected claims made by former clients about his businesses. ( ABC News )

Ms Nabavi handed over $35,000, thinking she would soon be granted citizenship.

Instead her story follows the standard Kang script. No job was secured, no visa was obtained, no refund was provided.

She said she was unaware she had overstayed her visa while Kang was meant to be resolving her permanent residency application, and she was kicked out of the country.

"The worst feeling is that he is still there taking money from people, but I am here [in Iran] and I cannot do anything," Ms Nabavi said.

"I got deported, I got a three-year ban, my life changed, but he was the cheater. He is still there."

Her brother Mahmood, who lives in Melbourne, is devastated by his sister's deportation.

Mahmoud Nabavi wants Kang's businesses shut down. ( Supplied )

"She is my sister. No-one can replace her," Mr Nabavi said.

He wants action taken against Kang to shut his business down while he is out on bail.

"First of all, someone has to stop him," he said.

"Secondly, he has to return everything that he took from vulnerable people."

Clawing the money back

Getting a refund from Kang is a torturous process.

Sunil Thapaliya said he was repeatedly abused by Mr Kang when asking for a refund. ( Supplied )

Over the years many students have been forced to return to their home countries with empty pockets.

Those who remain in Australia find it impossible to get him to pay up.

The disgraced businessman ignores calls, makes promises he does not deliver, sends abusive text messages and has even been accused of making death threats.

Sunil Thapaliya signed a contract with Kang after he was sentenced to jail.

When the Nepalese student discovered he had been convicted of fraud he asked for his money back.

Kang accused him of trying to destroy his business and racially abused him.

Court order ignored

Many foreign students who have been frustrated with Kang's refusal to refund their money over the years have sought financial redress through civil and administrative tribunals.

Despite a series of tribunal orders against Kang he refuses to pay what he owes.

Leilani Dajalos gave Kang $15,500 to secure a 457 visa and was promised employment with a hair salon.

The Filipino student received neither.

After she repeatedly asked for her money back, Kang returned just $800.

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) ordered him to pay Ms Dajalos $14,700, but more than 18 months later she still has not seen a cent.

Filipino student Leilani Dajalos gave Eddie Kang $15,000 to secure a 457 visa. ( ABC News: Simon Winter )

"It's very frustrating," she said.

"I am an international student and that money was supposed to be for my tuition fees.

"It hurts because it's hard-earned money.

"We are doing a lot of hard work here and it goes to someone like Edward Kang for a visa that never exists."

Ms Dajalos said she had suffered anxiety throughout the process and her husband fell sick.

She said seeing Kang's business still functioning made it harder to cope.

"In spite of all the victims that he had, I still see his ads, his company on the job advertising sites and on Facebook," she said.

Why can't Kang be shut down?

A text message a client received from Mr Kang. ( Supplied )

Kang is a clever operator, a chameleon who constantly changes business names.

He has run his operation under various names including Singapore Oil, Skylane Worldwide, Mill and Penn, and the Borderless Globe.

All up he has been a director of over 20 companies in the past five years.

He even changed his own name, after a previous ABC expose, starting to call himself Ted Kang.

Last year Fair Trading NSW issued a media release warning consumers not to deal with one of his operation's most recent incarnations, Goldman Pintex — a company owned by 23-year-old associate Yoon Seok "Joseph" Choi.

That name was soon retired, and Kang continued operating under other names such as RSMS Australia and ARVS.

While Kang has been able to trick foreign students who may have poor English skills, little understanding of Australian consumer law or have been in the country for a short time, he has also been able to get past authorities.

While the NSW Office of Fair Trading led the prosecution against Kang that saw him convicted of fraud, international students and migration agents have told the ABC the federal department responsible for immigration has ignored their complaints.

Sydney migration agent Mr Konrad has been making complaints to the federal government since 2013.

Sydney migration agent Karl Konrad wants Kang's visa cancelled. ( ABC News: David Maguire )

"The Department of Immigration have done absolutely nothing," Mr Konrad said.

"Even though the criminal charges were laid, and he was convicted, and they're still aware that he seems to be carrying on the same practices, they still do nothing which is quite amazing."

Kang is in Australia on a New Zealand passport. Mr Konrad believes he should be kicked out of the country.

"There are powers under the act to cancel the visa and the Minister has that power," Mr Konrad said.

Kang accused a client of bad behaviour, as he was trying to get a refund. ( Supplied )

In a statement, the Department of Home Affairs said the matter was before the courts and investigations were underway.

"The Australian Border Force (ABF) continues to provide assistance to the NSW Department of Fair Trading who have commenced proceedings on these matters under the Consumer Law," the statement said.

"The ABF continues to refer alleged victims of Mr Kang to the NSW Department of Fair Trading."

ABC coverage 'witch-hunting fake news', Kang says

Kang refused to be interviewed by the ABC.

In an email he said this story was part of a pattern of "unfounded accusations and untrue reportings".

"This type of witch-hunting fake news must be disappeared from earth," he said.

"Danger is that your initial fake reports will be spreading like epidemics thru [sic] google and youtube on the internet, and finally becoming facts pretending that is true, being believed by public, harassing and haunting too many honest victims for their entire lives, destroying their lives."

In 2009 Kang's immigration consulting company across the ditch was put into liquidation by order of New Zealand's High Court.

The liquidator's report found Kang to be "dishonest" and said that many members of the local Korean community had claimed to "have lost large sums of money" in dealings with Kang.

The report recommended Kang "should not be operating a business in New Zealand".

Australian authorities cannot say they were not warned.

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