Australia’s dumbest crooks: what they did and how they were caught

Would-be fraudsters used faked and doctored photos from world catastrophes to try and rip off the federal government’s disaster funding assistance program.

Australia’s dumbest would-be fraudsters used faked and doctored photos from world catastrophes to try and rip off the federal government’s disaster funding assistance program.

In a series of spectacular fails, one tried to pass off a left-hand drive car ruined in a US hurricane event several years ago as their own car, which they claimed was wrecked in a cyclone.

A left-hand drive car ruined in a US hurricane event was presented as a car wrecked in floods in NSW. Picture: Supplied

Others used cropped photos of landslides in Indonesia and a flood in India as evidence for claims of damage to homes in NSW and WA, while a picture from a digital photo library was passed off as evidence of a home in Victoria damaged by the 2021 storms.

A cropped version of this image was provided as evidence of damages to property during the 2021 NSW Floods. This image was first published in a news story about floods in India in 2018. Picture: Supplied

More than 1200 false images of faked property damage lodged as part of claims for Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payments, have been detected by Services Australia.

This image was submitted as evidence of flooding to their property in Victoria and also in d NSW floods this year. This image has appeared on multiple stock image and other websites. Picture: Supplied

A database has been set up to compile all the fake claims and the photos, many of which have been identified as either artificial or doctored and the claims rejected.

Many of the faked photos have appeared on various news and other websites from as early as 2009, while others have clearly been created digitally.

Staff processing claims can also view interactive maps of disaster areas in real-time, to immediately tell if a person is claiming for an address that isn’t affected by a disaster.

Minister for Government Services Senator Linda Reynolds said “It’s disappointing that a small number of unscrupulous people are trying to get payments they’re not entitled to, by submitting fake images of property damage.”

“Attempting to take advantage of payments which could help people to get back on their feet in a disaster zone is a particularly low act.

“This goes to show that anyone deliberately doing the wrong thing will be caught and the consequences can be severe.”

Senator Linda Reynolds said the attempted fraud was a “low act”. Picture: Sam Mooy/Getty Images

More than $470 million in financial help has been given to Australians affected by flood, fire and cyclones in the past year.

But the attempted frauds have gone further than a few dodgy photographs and in the past two years, there have been 580 investigations into alleged crimes against the disaster assistance program.

Out of those attempted rip offs, 187 cases have been referred for criminal prosecution.

There have already been 82 convictions with some people jailed for their fraudulent claims.

NSW NDIS officer Yousef Zreika was sentenced to four years and six months’ jail for using false and stolen identities to make 35 fraudulent disaster claims, worth $35,000 after the black summer bushfires of 2019, considered the “worst natural disaster in Australia’s history”.

Zreika, 35, of Campbelltown, in western Sydney, was arrested in 2020 after assuming 64 fake identities to claim disaster recovery payments totalling more than $70,000.

He also unsuccessfully attempted a further 35 false claims for payments from a string of agencies including disaster recovery program, Jobseeker, Newstart Allowance and the Covid-19 supplement payment, potentially worth around $35,000.

Charters Towers woman Missy Catherine Moore, 39, was jailed after she was found guilty of fraudulently receiving social security and disaster relief recovery payments. Picture: Supplied

A Queensland woman, Missy Catherine Moore, 39, was jailed for a “calculated” fraud against the federal government disaster relief recovery payment following the 2019 monsoon and flood event.

Moore was working as a medical receptionist, the Charters Towers Magistrates Court was told when she defrauded Centrelink over a period of 22 months, and also fraudulently obtained federal government disaster relief recovery payment by falsely claiming that her residence was damaged through the floods.

Moore, who pleaded guilty to all charges, also made claims in the names of other people whose homes were not damaged in the floods and in most of the cases the payments were made into bank accounts linked to her.

Separately, a Sydney schoolteacher and her son, an alleged bikie associate, both allegedly posed as bushfire and flood victims to obtain tens of thousands of dollars in government handouts.

A Sydney schoolteacher and her bikie associate son have been charged over alleged fraudulent disaster claims. Picture: Supplied

The mother and son were arrested as part of a widespread investigation into outlaw motorcycle gang members and associates taking advantage of disaster relief payments.

The police allege the mother received $10,000 after falsely claiming she was affected by the worst season in Australia’s history and then allegedly applied for a $12,000 flood relief payment.

However, money never reached her account as NSW police smashed a web of bikies and associates accused of committing similar frauds. He son was allegedly one of them.

Seven people have been charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception. Picture: Supplied

Seven more people were charged by police investigating fraudulent bushfire and flood claims and a firearm, poker machine, cash, drugs and designer shoes and bags valued at $60,000.

NSW Police Raptor Squad Commander, Detective Superintendent Jason Weinstein, said it was a significant investigation.

NSW Detective Chief Inspector Jason Weinstein. Picture: AAP Image/Joel Carrett

“The state of NSW has endured an exceptionally difficult two years with the devastating effects of the bushfires, floods and the pandemic affecting everyone within our community,” Det Supt Weinstein said.

“Police will allege in court that these individuals used these situations to their advantage to defraud the government of thousands of dollars that should have gone to those in need.”

A 50-year-old man from Tuncurry, north of Sydney, has been charged with allegedly fraudulently obtaining disaster recovery payments he was not entitled to and dishonestly influencing Services Australia public officials related to the NSW Bushfires.

Police allege the man was assisting members of the public to fraudulently obtain $1000 benefit payments by calling the hotline on their behalf.