Identity of man behind alleged ‘cash for demerit’ scam revealed

In a small town south-west of Brisbane, a young man is alleged to have operated a business that scammed the state government out of almost $150,000.

The “cash for demerit points” scheme started through social media in 2021, police say. But it wasn’t until three years later, through a police investigation codenamed Operation Blot, that the man was arrested.

For the first time, the accused can be named as Nicholas John Anforth, a 28-year-old now facing multiple charges, including fraud and attempting to pervert justice.

Drivers have 28 days to transfer a fine – for example, for not wearing a seatbelt – after receiving it in the mail.

Anforth’s alleged crimes span several years, and include taking fines and demerit points for people in exchange for money.

Once contacted by a “customer” – someone given a speeding, seatbelt, red light or other traffic fine – police say Anforth would nominate himself as the driver.

After receiving the ticket, he then would allegedly sign it over to an unsuspecting third party who was the victim of identity theft.

Police were alerted after one alleged victim contacted police with $20,000 worth of fines he had received.

The case is one of the first of its kind, but it appears the state government departments and agencies involved are unaware of the scale of the problem.

Queensland Police, the Department of Transport and Main Roads and the Queensland Revenue Office could not provide data on how many reports had been made by potential victims.

Court documents obtained by this masthead show Anforth is accused of dishonestly inducing the Queensland government to reissue photographic detection offence notices between June 2021 and August 2024.

He is also accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice by making a false police report and providing the details to the Revenue Office, between September 2022 and March 2023.

Other charges on his list include obtaining the driver licence details of a man in 2021 and 2022 in order to commit an indictable offence. Anforth allegedly committed this offence from the tiny town of Ballandean, 80km south of Warwick.

He is also charged with obtaining the personal details of two other people. One crime was allegedly committed in Warwick in July and August 2024, weeks before he was arrested, and the other between April 2023 and June 2024.

Anforth is yet to enter a plea, and his case remains before the court.

Court documents for the Ipswich-born Anforth list his occupation as unemployed, and living in Warwick, where police say he committed some of the offences.

The 28-year-old, who at the time of being charged was on his P-plates, is also accused of driving over the no-alcohol limit on the New England Highway months after he was first charged under Operation Blot.

He also faces charges of breaching his bail in September and December last year.

At the time of Anforth’s arrest, Janelle Andrews from Queensland Police’s Road Policing Group alleged his illegal business had dealt with more than 200 camera-detected offence notices worth about $141,000 in fines and 695 demerit points.

When asked about the case, including what had happened to the alleged victims and what police had done since Anforth’s arrest to mitigate future risks, Queensland Police said they could not directly comment as it remained before the Warwick Magistrates Court.

“The Department of Transport and Main Roads has processes in place concerning issuing new Customer Reference Numbers (CRNs) in cases where identity theft may be substantiated,” police said in a statement.

Police said the Queensland Revenue Office administered the camera-detected offence notice system. But none of the government bodies contacted by this masthead had specific data on how many victims had made reports about false nominations in general.

However, according to the QRO, a total of 389,719 infringement notices were withdrawn between July 2023 and June 2024.

More than 335,000 were withdrawn because QRO had received a nomination that another driver was responsible. More than 35,000 were withdrawn because they involved emergency service or police vehicles on official duty.

About 16,500 were withdrawn for “another reason”, which QRO explained could be that the person had died, or a stolen vehicle or licence plate declaration was received. Cases can also be handled formally through the courts.

A Transport and Main Roads spokesperson said it was illegal to nominate another person to receive camera-detected infringements if they were not the driver at the time of the offence.

“Police investigate suspicious nominations. Making a false declaration in relation to a camera-detected infringement can result in a fine of up to $9678 or two years in jail,” they said in a statement.

The department said people who believed they were victims of a fraudulent nomination should submit a fine enquiry with the QRO.

“In these circumstances the QRO may withdraw the infringement and reissue to the registered operator. The QRO may also refer these matters to the QPS for further investigation and prosecution.”

Anforth’s case remains before the Warwick Magistrates Court.

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