A Perth man who died inside a Balinese immigration detention centre last week allegedly owed tens of thousands of dollars to more than a dozen customers who say he defrauded them through his Indonesian car restoration business, with one victim alone losing $76,000.
Cameron Hughes, 39, was found unresponsive at the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office — situated roughly 23 kilometres south of Denpasar — on Friday night. He had been held there while awaiting deportation over visa irregularities.
Hughes had called Bali home for 15 years and is survived by his wife and an eight-year-old son.
The $76,000 Car That Was Never Finished
Among those claiming to have been swindled is Perth retiree Mark Pulford, 65, who says he handed over a total of $76,000 to Hughes's company, Holden Resto Bali, for the restoration of a classic Holden Torana — and ended up with nothing to show for it.
Pulford says he first crossed paths with Hughes in 2023 through a mutual friend, describing him as a highly "charismatic" individual. Persuaded by their conversations, Pulford paid an initial deposit of $25,000 in January 2024. Within days he transferred a further $25,000, and several months later added another $26,000 to the total.
He was initially told the vehicle would be ready by mid-2024. That deadline slipped repeatedly, eventually being pushed to mid-2025. More than two years on, the car remains unfinished.
When Pulford pressed for answers, Hughes reportedly responded with a string of excuses that Pulford described as increasingly far-fetched — ranging from medical emergencies including dengue fever, a skipped heartbeat and hospitalisation, to bad weather, staffing shortages, supplier delays and religious holidays.
"Some of them were laughable," Pulford said. "He said, 'The weather is really bad and I have to look after my son', then he had a skipped heartbeat in hospital, he said the suppliers weren't getting back to him, the doctors had given him the wrong medication and now he was having fits. He said he had dengue fever in hospital, that happened a few times … it just went on and on."
Audio recordings obtained by reporters reveal Hughes verbally berating Pulford for simply asking when the restoration would be completed.
Desperate Messages and Unanswered Calls
By late November 2025, Pulford had grown exhausted. In a WhatsApp message sent to Hughes on 23 November, he wrote: "I know you are unwell and your workshop has been closed for three months, should we negotiate through our lawyers a cash payment and the parts I supplied returned? I am willing to take a loss so I can move on, I am tired from being stressed about the build."
He continued: "I paid $76,000 and there has been basically no progress … none of my questions are answered and I never receive any updates."
Phone records show Pulford tried to reach Hughes repeatedly in the days that followed. None of his calls were answered.
Pulford said he subsequently consulted a Balinese lawyer, who confirmed there were at least 10 other victims who had similarly lost their life savings through dealings with Hughes. While frustrated, Pulford acknowledged he was in a comparatively fortunate position, saying the financial loss — though significant — was not "the end of the world" for him.
Hughes's Own Words Before His Death
Since his death, Hughes's family shared a draft statement they say he had prepared before he died. In it, he acknowledged the pressure he had been under.
"I was dealing with enormous personal and business stress," the statement reportedly reads. "My health deteriorated badly. I was hospitalised late last year and again early this year with ulcers and anaemia, requiring blood transfusions."
His family has separately indicated they are seeking answers over the circumstances of his death in custody. The full details surrounding how Hughes came to be detained, and the precise cause of his death, remain the subject of ongoing inquiries.
For Perth residents who dealt with Hughes, the news of his passing has left many facing the grim prospect of never recovering the money they lost.
