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Who the Hell is Hamish?

The Australian

He was born Hamish Watson, a surfie dude from Sydney – but he could morph into whatever you needed him to be.

After pleading guilty to 18 charges, Hamish McLaren was sentenced in June 2020 to an aggregate sentence of 16 years in prison with a non-parole period of 12 years for 17 counts of fraud. He was given a fixed sentence of 7 years and 6 months for a single charge of money laundering, to be served concurrently. His overall sentence was reduced to 12 years imprisonment with a nine-year non-parole period on appeal in 2021.

McLaren was released in July 2026 after nine years behind bars.

These crimes are just the final pages in a resume too thick to staple; for decades he’s duped victims in the US, Canada, Britain, Hong Kong and Australia. How did he do it? How did he evade authorities around the world for so long and what’s he done with all those tens of millions of dollars he stole?

41 - 10: The Reckoning

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41 - 10: The Reckoning
For years Hamish McLaren had evaded the law. But not any more. The brutal truth, like a runaway out-of-control limited edition Mercedes...
Tue, 11 Aug 2026
40 - 9: Bonus: Jane
As a bonus for all listeners, we are publishing the full interview with Jane, recorded in her house north of Sydney. She speaks at leng...
Tue, 11 Aug 2026
39 - 8: The Definition of Evil
It may appear that Hamish got away with his schemes for decades. But he didn't. He kept getting caught out, time and again. It's self e...
Tue, 11 Aug 2026
38 - 7: On the Couch with Hamish
He killed off his parents, by air and by sea. He ran over his twin brother Phil, and killed him too. What are we to make of these fanci...
Tue, 11 Aug 2026
37 - 6: Kevin from Queensland Goes to Canada
Skiing was Hamish Watson's great love. Before he was a puffed-up futures trader in Sydney, he was a pumped-up muscle-bound ski instruct...
Tue, 11 Aug 2026
36 - 5: Who the Hell is Phil?
Hamish arrived on the floor of the Sydney Futures Exchange in the late 90s - he talked big, but they all knew he traded small. They cal...
Tue, 11 Aug 2026
35 - 4: The Intern
Jane was destined for big things. She was the great hope of her local school. She was in love with Jack, her teenage sweetheart. Life w...
Tue, 11 Aug 2026
34 - 3: The Gatsby of the Great Lakes
Hamish arrived in sleepy Blueys Beach with a beautiful woman on his arm, and on the run from his past. Rumours of dark deeds wafted thr...
Tue, 11 Aug 2026
33 - 2: Fashion Crimes
Hamish McLaren was always attracted to the high-life. It was inevitable he'd gravitate to fashion. And so, nestled amo...
Tue, 11 Aug 2026
32 - 1: The Day Max Died
Tracy fell in love with Max Tavita, a man who won her over with tales of a life in the investment world and how he was working in the W...
Tue, 11 Aug 2026
31 - Bonus: Judge Colin Charteris
The swan song of judge Colin Charteris - his final words from the bench, the sentencing of Hamish McLaren.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fri, 21 Jun 2019
30 - Bonus: Nick Park
Nick Park is a trader who worked alongside Hamish Watson on the Sydney Futures trading floor in the mid 1990s, he suspected something was off with Hamish from the start.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fri, 29 Mar 2019
29 - Bonus: Tim Watson-Munro
A criminal psychologist with 40 years experience analysing offenders in prisons. Tim hasn’t examined Hamish but listening to the podcast he believes Hamish is a psychopath who operates at the top 1 percent of offenders.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fri, 22 Mar 2019
28 - Bonus: James Leigh
James Leigh is Canadian security consultant and former US Intelligence and Homeland Security operative, he claims to be able to collect stolen funds which cannot be recovered by conventional methods.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fri, 15 Mar 2019
27 - Bonus: Matt Nable
Before Matt Nable became a successful actor and screenwriter, he was a rugby league player, but gave up being the Manly strength and conditioning coach to be Hamish’s personal trainer. Matt taught Hamish how to box, and witnessing his jet setting, extravagant lifestyle first hand.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fri, 08 Mar 2019
26 - Bonus: Jack Rosen
Jack thought he had a solid role model when Hamish McLaren married his mum, Bec Rosen. But soon the spotlight fell on his high school sweetheart, as Hamish betrayed the family that had let him into their lives.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fri, 01 Mar 2019
25 - Bonus: Catherine Coleman
Catherine Coleman watched from the sidelines as Max Tavita entranced her good friend Tracy Hall. It's very difficult to burst the Hamish bubble, but she tried her hardest, fact checking his story however she could. But what do you do when you find evidence, but your friend refuses to take it seriously?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fri, 22 Feb 2019
24 - Bonus: Lisa Ho
Fashion designed Lisa Ho explains how Hamish inserted himself in her business, the red flags that started to worry her, and the perfect storm that ultimately imploded her life.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fri, 15 Feb 2019
23 - Bonus: Tracy Hall
An extended cut of Tracy Hall's interview, in which she explains how she met Max, the stories of his childhood and career in America, the arc of their relationship, and her sense of betrayal.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wed, 06 Feb 2019
1 - Introducing Who the Hell is Hamish?
On the trail of a serial conman. A new podcast from the team that brought you The Teacher's Pet, coming soon....
Mon, 04 Feb 2019

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