Mildura Magistrates’ Court: Rebecca Douglas pleads guilty to scamming Medicare out of thousands

A Mildura woman has appeared in court after conning Medicare out of thousands of taxpayers dollars in a “calculated and deliberate” act of fraud.

Mildura woman Rebecca Douglas pleaded guilty to gaining thousands of dollars in false Medicare claims. Photo Lee Constable / Daily Mercury

A Mildura woman who ripped off Medicare to the tune of thousands of dollars during a rampant crime spree hasn’t paid a cent back, a court has heard.

Rebecca Douglas pleaded guilty in Mildura Magistrates’ Court on November 1 to four charges of obtaining financial advantage by deception and one charge of attempting to obtain financial advantage by deception.

The court heard Douglas committed the first offence on December 16 in 2021, when she lodged a doctor’s visit claim to Medicare worth $611.80.

Medicare approved the claim and deposited $420.40 in repayments into her account.

On the second occasion, on January 2 in 2022, Douglas lodged a claim to Medicare under someone else’s name, and pocketed a further $4323.40.

On the third successful occasion on January 4, Douglas claimed she had paid $3176.25 for a medical procedure, and received $1884.20 back from Medicare.

Douglas had neither received nor paid for any of the treatments she had lodged claims for.

Rebecca Douglas pleaded guilty in Mildura Magistrates’ Court on November 1 after defrauding Medicare out of thousands in false claims.

On January 7 in 2022 she lodged her final false claim saying she paid $8535.25 for three medical procedures.

The court heard her claim was rejected and the others were revealed as false in a larger operation uncovering Medicare fraud.

Medicare invited Douglas to be interviewed over the fraudulent claims in October 2022, but she never responded.

On November 1 last year, Douglas was ordered to repay the benefits she’d incorrectly received.

The court heard Douglas had also fraudulently claimed the Covid-19 test isolation payments in 2020.

On October 30, 2020 police were notified about Douglas’ false claims where she had received $300.

Investigators found she had never been employed by the company she applied for the payment under.

Douglas was arrested and made full admissions to police.

The court heard Douglas had previously engaged in other fraudulent activity in the 1990s.

Magistrate Patrick Southey said Douglas’ offending was “deliberate and calculated”.

“These are serious charges, and you haven’t paid any of the money back,” he said.

“This is clear and calculated fraud, and you’ve done it before.”

Mr Southey sentenced Douglas with conviction to pay back a total sum of $6945.30, inclusive of all her fraudulent claims.

Douglas will also have to complete an 18 month corrections order, inclusive of 150 hours of unpaid community work and a 12 month good behaviour bond.