Sacked Centrelink staffer Lucinda Smythe pleads guilty to rorting Covid disaster relief payments
A Melbourne Centrelink staffer who handled Covid claims stole disaster relief cash to fund a buy now, pay later shopping spree.
Inner South
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A Melbourne Centrelink staffer who grifted Covid disaster relief payments while working full-time to fund an “extravagant” spending spree has avoided a conviction.
Lucinda Smythe, 23, pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday to multiple obtain a financial by deception charges.
Smythe was working full-time for Centrelink when she rorted $5250 via four bogus Covid-19 Disaster Relief payment claims in September last year.
Smythe, who took home $1888.70 a fortnight, falsely claimed she was working at the Kangaroo Flat Hotel in Bendigo.
However, Smythe was living and working comfortably in Melbourne while others desperately required government assistance.
The scoundrel was fired from Centrelink on November 4 last year after her skulduggery was detected.
Smythe told investigators she worked at the Kangaroo Flat Hotel and Bendigo RSL sub-branch until she gained employment at Centrelink in August last year.
“I sort of became a bit greedy and just didn’t change it (Bendigo address),” Smythe said.
“Just in order for me to then receive another payment … they (the payments) were like a bit of a shock but, like, I didn’t do anything to stop it.”
The court heard Smythe completed “fraud induction” during her Centrelink employment.
Smythe, of South Melbourne, also told investigators her role at Centrelink involved handling people dealing with Covid hardships.
“Yeah, so I was taking calls for the Covid payment … disaster payment for loss of the hours at work … (and) the two week isolation payment,” she said.
The defence submitted Smythe was “living with depression and anxiety” after relocating from Bendigo to Melbourne.
“Ms Smythe is very sorry for what she has done … she was also in a lot of debt,” the defence submitted.
“The offending arose out of temptation … she had some friends at the time … friends who encouraged her to do it ‘it’s easy, just do it … just put through a claim … it’s just writing a few things on the internet’ Ms Smythe succumbed to that temptation.”
Smythe, who bought items including clothes with the stolen dough, ran up “buy now pay later” debt, the court was told.
The court heard Smythe, who now works in a warehouse, is studying to become a real estate agent and plans to study a personal training course.
“Her long-term career goal is in real estate and the idea is to be a personal trainer on the side,” the defence submitted.
“The notion of re-entering the real estate industry and being an agent of sorts will invariably require a police clearance check.”
Smythe, who enjoys going to dinner with friends and sports, remains in a “dicey” financial situation.
Magistrate Carolyn Burnside said Smythe “acknowledged her wrongdoing”.
“Some of the money that she was spending was really quite extravagant and probably well beyond her means and that’s part of growing up isn’t it …,” Magistrate Burnside said.
“It’s very easy for people to deceive the government in the way that she did …”
The prosecution submitted the offending was “planned and deliberate”.
“(Smythe) deliberately made false statements …,” the prosecution submitted.
“The offending is particularly serious considering (Smythe) was employed on a full-time basis with Services Australia (Centrelink), had completed fraud induction training and was responsible for administrating the program which she defrauded.”
Magistrate Burnside said Smythe’s offending was “out of character”.
“You really learn a lesson that buying sometimes beautiful clothing, spending a lot of money on we call beautician services …,” Magistrate Burnside said.
“It’s very tempting because we live in a day and age now where women are meant to look perfect which is totally unrealistic …
“It was easy (to take the cash) but it was meant for people who were really, really struggling and you weren’t, you were fully employed … needy people miss out and you weren’t needy.”
Smythe was sentenced without conviction to a good behaviour bond, fined $1000 and ordered to repay Centrelink.
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