Dilara Jenkins fronts court over protracted benefit fraud

A Melbourne mum rorted taxpayers to the tune of $215,000 by claiming various benefits under different names over seven years.

Dilara Jenkins leaves court following her conviction for benefit fraud totalling more than $215,000.

A Melbourne mum who dishonestly obtained more than $215,000 in various benefits over seven years under different names has been spared jail because she has two young daughters with disabilities.

Dilara Jenkins, 41, appeared for sentencing in the County Court on Friday after earlier pleading guilty to four charges of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage between June 2014 and April 2021.

She was released on a reconnaissance order to be of good behaviour for three years, with Judge Trevor Wraight citing the need for Jenkins to care for her two young daughters with disabilities as a factor in not sending her to prison.

Melbourne mum Dilara Jenkins dishonestly received more than $215,000 in social security benefits under different names.

Jenkins dishonestly received $182,495 in social security benefits from Centrelink in the names of Dilara Denizli and Dilara Ellis between 2014 and 2021.

She received a further $33,355 between 2017 and 2021 by falsely claiming that she was single while being married. In total, she dishonestly obtained $215,851.

Jenkins changed her name, opened bank accounts under different names and submitted claims to Centrelink which detected her offending through an internal data match with Medicare.

Police seized identity documents in the names of Dilara Berdilek, Dilara Denizli and Dilara Ellis during a search warrant at her Altona home in April 2021.

She repaid $61,490 over two payments a month after the document seizures.

Judge Wraight said it was clear that Jenkins’ offending required a degree of organisation and pre planning and was a serious example of social security fraud.

“The offending was also audacious which, by way of example, is evidenced in the calls you made to Centrelink where on one occasion you called in different names within the same hour,” Judge Wraight said.