Breakwater’s Adam Parker earned $30k but claimed $10k in Centrelink benefits

A Geelong scammer lied to authorities when he told them he had not earned a cent as he claimed unemployment benefits across 26 fortnightly cycles.

A Centrelink conman fleeced $10,300 of unemployment benefits by making dodgy income reports across three years, a court has been told.

Adam Parker, 64, was on the Newstart Allowance between 2015 and 2017 and was paid $30,200 via his employment, when he repeatedly made false income declarations to the Commonwealth.

The Geelong Magistrates’ Court was told this week the Breakwater man was overpaid by Centrelink $1233 between July 2015 and August 2015, $3969 between February 2016 and May 2016, and $5179 between March 2017 and September 2017.

The court heard Parker earnt $13,524 between February 2016 and May 2016, and $13,783 between March 2017 and September 2017.

Court documents state Parker “knew or believed he was not eligible” for the payments when he made claims across 26 fortnights where he told authorities he had not earnt a cent in that time.

The court was told Parker was employed casually from September 2012 to August 2017, and that during the time his fortnightly income averaged between $726 and $1690.

The court heard Centrelink uncovered the ruse by matching data with the Australian Taxation Office.

Parker, who pleaded guilty to obtaining financial advantage by deception, was ordered to pay back the $10,300, $300 in costs, and was put on a bond of $500 for 12 months.

Originally published as Breakwater’s Adam Parker earned $30k but claimed $10k in Centrelink benefits