Mardi: Hairdresser Carly Fay Love pleads guilty to $15K Covid Jobsaver fraud

A hairdresser fraudulently applied for government Covid grants worth $15,000 and whisked payments away into a separate account before actively “avoiding” police, a court has heard.

A hairdresser who works two days a week claimed her business turned over more than $75,000 in order to fraudulently obtain $15,000 in government Covid grants.

Carly Fay Love, of Mardi, appeared at Wyong Local Court on Wednesday where she pleaded guilty to one count of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.

The 36-year-old’s solicitor sought a variation to Love’s bail to allow her to be out in public without the condition she be in the company of her mother.

He said Love wanted to engage in drug and alcohol counselling but was unable to because her mother ran a business and couldn’t attend sessions.

However the application to vary bail was adjourned to the same court on August 3 when Love will be sentenced.

Love fraudulently applied for Covid grants in September last year. (File image)

An agreed set of facts states at 7.19am on September 17 last year Love applied online to Service NSW for a $3000 Covid Jobsaver grant, to be paid fortnightly.

“During the application process the accused falsely declared that she met the eligibility requirements,” the facts state.

Love used an Australian Business Number (ABN) registered in her name as part of her application and also stated her business revenue exceeded $75,000.

“The accused’s fraudulent application was approved by Service NSW,” the facts state.

On September 23 Love received a $3000 payment into her National Australia Bank account which she promptly “transferred to a linked account”.

On September 27 “as a result of the fraudulent application” Love received a further $12,000 Covid Jobsaver grant, which she also transferred to another account.

Her Australian Taxation Office records showed she declared earning $16,425 in the 2020 financial year but had not lodged tax returns for the 2019 or 2021 financial years, the facts state.

“Police made numerous attempts to contact the accused and deal with the matter,” the facts state.

“Police arranged to meet the accused for a formal interview. The accused sent police a text message on December 2, 2021, stating she does not wish to interview.

“Police attended the residential address of the accused, left numerous voicemails and sent a text message requesting to see the accused’s accounting records. Police did not receive any response and it appears she is avoiding police.”

Love was ordered to undergo a full pre-sentence report before she returns to court for sentence.