NDIS Minister Bill Shorten slams alleged $11.3m rorters for ‘stealing from the disabled’

A Western Sydney woman is at the centre of an alleged NDIS fraud case worth $11.3 million. NDIS Minister Bill Shorten alleged the rort ‘isn’t petty theft, it’s organised crime’.

A Western Sydney woman is at the centre of a multimillion-dollar NDIS fraud sting after early morning raids on four service providers by the federal government’s new crack team of investigators.

On Thursday, Fraud Fusion task force members hit locations at Casula, Potts Hill and Liverpool, seizing boxes of paperwork, mobile phones, computers, banking documents and other evidence allegedly showing fraud against the National Disability Insurance Scheme totalling $11.3 million over the past five years.

“Fraud to the value of $11 million in unsubstantiated NDIS claims isn’t petty theft, it’s organised crime,” NDIS Minister Bill Shorten exclusively told The Saturday Telegraph.

“To steal from Australia’s most vulnerable is disgusting.”

The 54-year-old woman came to the attention of the National Disability Insurance Agency’s fraud investigations unit in May.

The alleged mastermind of the scheme at home. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Operation Ivory was established to investigate the woman’s control of four Western Sydney service ­providers, both registered and ­unregistered.

Her network was also the subject of more than 15 “tip-offs”, including the reporting of collusion with participants through the payment of kickbacks.

One of the raids on the properties connected to the woman’s NDIS business. Picture: John Appleyard

Investigators will allege about 40 per cent of the money claimed was used for investment in real estate, withdrawn in cash, or held in bank accounts controlled by the woman.

Well-placed sources claim the network helped participants gain false access to the NDIS, claim for support not provided, and over-claim for support provided.

Investigators will allege the network engaged in suspicious financial activity, with cash withdrawals in excess of $1.1 million.

CCTV footage from a bank allegedly captures the woman attending the branch with a man to withdraw $30,000 from her business account.

There is other evidence of large cash withdrawals by the woman’s associate on 31 occasions, which totals $800,000.

Police gather evidence at one of the business premises. Picture: John Appleyard

The task force will allege the woman is in control of the associate’s NDIS provider business and has used him to avoid detection.

On Thursday at 6am the taskforce sent teams to the four locations.

An AFP spokesman confirmed officers assisted the execution of the warrants.

“There is no immediate threat to the community as a result of this activity,” the spokesman said, adding “as this is an ongoing matter, it would not be appropriate to comment further”.

In Casula, investigators knocked on the door and served the warrant on the woman before seizing three mobile phones, one computer, and a quantity of banking and business documents.

A second team of investigators served a warrant on a 65-year-old man at his work address at Greenacre, and then, in his presence at a Potts Hill premises, seized a mobile phone, a notebook and a quantity of banking and payments records.

The alleged mastermind of the scheme outside her home with a friend. Picture: Jeremy PiperJeremy Piper

The Western Sydney woman is at the centre of a multimillion-dollar NDIS fraud sting. Picture: Jeremy Piper

In Casula they executed a search warrant where a 50-year-old male “person of interest” was located on site.

Two “gel blasters”, one USB memory stick and one 1TB hard drive ­containing a copy of iPhone data were seized.

Then at Liverpool a large quantity of documents, notebooks and passwords for businesses were seized.

Sources say the investigation will now move to press charges and bring the matter before the courts, with offences to include committing acts against several federal programs, ­including Family Day Care, Australian Taxation Office GST tax fraud and avoidance, and moving money contrary to the Anti Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing Act.

During the probe, taskforce investigators discovered 112 disability insurance participants were associated with the woman and her network, and their welfare and access to care has been a key focus.

The Labor government set up the Fraud Fusion taskforce in October 2022 to target fraudsters who have fleeced more than $290m from the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Mr Shorten said “the back door was left wide open to NDIS fraud under the Libs”.

Operation Ivory was established to investigate the woman’s control of four Western Sydney service ­providers. Picture: John Appleyard

“The scheme was left at the mercy of crooks with potentially billions meant for people with disability lost to fraud.

“The Fraud Fusion task force, that we set up since the election, is working – we’re bringing NDIS funding back to who it is intended for, people with ­disability.”

The task force consists of 15 government agencies, with a core group of seven agencies forming the Inter-Departmental Committee, led by the NDIA and Services Australia, as well as Attorney-General’s Department, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, Australian Federal Police, Australian Taxation Office and the DIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.