The Block Australia 2022 fans have slammed “racist” accusations that Omar Slaimankhel and Ozman “Oz” Malik “rigged” their huge win.

Viewers have questioned why bidder Adrian Portelli was only interested in House Five, with some naysayers accusing the multi-millionaire of just putting up “dummy bids” to boost their profits, which is an illegal practice.

omar oz the block budget
The Block 2022 fans have slammed “racist” accusations that Omar Slaimankhel and Ozman “Oz” Malik “rigged” their huge win. Source: Nine.

What Happened During The Block 2022 Auctions?

ICYMI – While Adrian was the first to bid on House Five, regular Block buyer Danny Wallis swooped in with the winning bid that handed Omar and Oz the big win.

The pair described Adrian as “our boy”, which led some to question whether they already had a pre-established connection with the millionaire.

Adrian Portelli
Some viewers questioned why bidder Adrian Portelli was only interested in the boys’ property. Source: Nine.

Danny also questioned Adrian, asking him in the middle of the bidding war: “I hope you’ve got the money?”

Omar and Oz’s final auction result saw a profit of $1.58 million, with a reserve of $4.08 million, meaning that they sold for more than a whopping $5.66 million.

As they had the highest profit, they also received a further $100,000 in prize money.

The Block 2022 Fans Questioned Whether Omar and Oz’s Win Was “Rigged”

Fans of Omar and Oz felt that the accusations about the win were steeped in underlying “racism”, with people saying that the claims lean into problematic stereotypes that the boys were “dodgy” and possibly elicited their wide circle of friends to get ahead.

“The boys definitely set up that guy to be there and do high bids. Pretty rigged and not fair at all! Very disappointing,” one fan wrote on Facebook.

omar and oz adrian the block 2022 dummy bidding racist accusations
Fans of Omar and Oz felt the accusations that the two friends “rigged” their win was steeped in underlying racism. Source: Facebook.

Another agreed: “I agree! He was there to push bids up for sure. Danny didn’t need to bid high with the others because he had no one to compete with. Tbh it feels dodgy.”

The Block 2022 Fans Debated Whether the Accusations Towards Omar and z Were Inherently “Racist”

Other fans hit back at anybody who questioned whether the boys’ win on The Block 2022 was “fair“, explaining the doubt towards the duo felt “racist”.

Omar and Oz have been repeatedly questioned about their authenticity, with previous cheating scandals at the forefront of viewers’ minds.

“It’s wild how people can’t just be happy for the boys for their well-deserved win,” a fan hit back on the same Facebook thread.

They continued: “It makes total sense when you think about the market, the location and the niche of the properties.

“It sucks that everyone else did badly, but that’s on Channel 9 for thinking they’d find five home buyers in that price range in that area. Bad sportsmanship putting the boys down.”

Millionaire Adrian Portelli Accused of Committing a Crime by Twitter Users After Bidding on Omar and Oz’s House on The Block

The cynicism of some viewers even made its way back to Adrian himself, who offered to show his bank account to prove he was placing genuine bids.

According to realestate.com.au, he has purchased numerous multi-million dollar properties in the past, most recently buying a $2.2 million property on the Gold Coast’s Sanctuary Cove.

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“For everybody questioning the legitimacy of the auction, I was a genuine buyer with every intention to purchase that property. Nobody is the blame for what happened,” Adrian wrote on his Instagram Story on November 7.

He added: “Believe it or not, if you’ve got two people that genuinely want the property, a bidding war will commence. I’m happy to show my bank account for anyone that suggests these were dummy bids.”

What is a Dummy Bid?

A “dummy bid” attempts to raise the bidding after the reserve price has been reached. According to Consumer Affairs Victoria, it is an offence for any person to arrange for another person to make a bid at an auction that is against the law.

dummy bidding
Adrian offered to show his bank account to prove he was placing genuine bids. Source: Instagram.

In New South Wales, if someone makes a dummy bid for the seller, they could be prosecuted and fined up to $55,000. Victorian bidders may be fined $24,000, while the auctioneer could be fined $60,000, according to The Age back in 2002.

It’s not the first time The Block has dealt with “dummy bidding” after the scandal involving Emese Fajk in 2020.

Want even more goss? Listen to episode 226 of the So Dramatic! podcast with Megan Pustetto below!

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