Media Release
Eight-year welfare fraud earns 24-month prison stretch
29 February 2008
A 65-year-old woman who used a false identity to steal more than $100,000 in Centrelink payments has been sentenced to 24 months in prison in Sydney today.
The District Court heard the woman, from Sydney’s inner-west, received a Widow Allowance and Age Pension in her real name between December 1998 and February 2007. During this time, she was also working under a false identity.
The woman, who pleaded guilty, received more than $102,700 in welfare payments she wasn’t entitled to and will be eligible for parole after serving nine months in prison. She was also ordered by the court to repay Centrelink the remaining amount she owes - $ 99,870.
Minister for Human Services, Senator Joe Ludwig said Centrelink investigators uncovered the fraud after a data-matching exercise with the Australian Taxation Office.
“This lead was followed by an extensive investigation and the execution of a search warrant by the Australian Federal Police, during which documents in both names were found,” Senator Ludwig said.
“Centrelink’s investigation revealed a deliberate attempt to rip-off the system and today’s sentencing shows how harshly welfare cheats can expect to be treated by the courts.
“Some people will go to great lengths to defraud the system, including in this case which involved the elaborate creation of a false identity. However, improved technology and data-matching capability has allowed Centrelink to become increasingly successful in identifying cases of welfare fraud.”
“Centrelink has specialist Fraud Investigation Teams that use highly developed purpose-built computer matching programs, and data matching and advanced techniques to counter sophisticated identity fraud attempts.”
“This includes checking Centrelink records against historical data and information held by other government agencies, as well as searching and identifying anomalies in individual customer records.”
Senator Ludwig said the Australian Government is committed to stamping out fraud in the welfare sector.
“The message from today’s sentencing is simple - if you’re intent on defrauding the system, Centrelink will catch up with you and the penalties could be serious. Welfare cheats are discovering that if they steal from the taxpayer, they’re the ones that are going to pay,” he said.
“I’d strongly encourage anyone who suspects they know of welfare fraud being committed to phone the Australian Government Services Fraud Tip-off Line on 13 1524.”
N.B – Pixilated optical surveillance of this case (and digital stills) are available.
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