Women charged over $27k COVID-19 JobSeeker fraud

Two young women have been charged with defrauding more than $27,000 in COVID-19 JobSeeker and bushfire recovery assistance claims.

Two young women have been charged with defrauding more than $27,000 in COVID-19 JobSeeker and bushfire recovery assistance claims.

The women, who are friends aged 24 and 27, were arrested at their homes at Port Macquarie on the NSW Mid North Coast after they received $10,000 and had made claims for $17,000 more.

Their arrests came after a 34-year-old man was arrested for allegedly using more than 50 different false identities to apply for $70,550 in JobSeeker and bushfire assistance claims.

The two women were uncovered when Services Australia identified a pattern of suspicious activity.

This included 25 fraudulent claims for the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment in relation to 2019 to 2020 summer bushfires.

The pair also allegedly made one fraudulent claim for JobSeeker payments in relation to COVID-19.

Each woman has been charged with eight counts of obtaining a financial advantage by deception contrary to Commonwealth legislation, which carries a maximum 10-year prison term.

Two women are arrested in Port Macquarie for alleged fraud of COVID-19 JobSeeker and bushfire assistance funds.

RELATED: How Vietnam ‘sledgehammered’ virus curve

RELATED: Follow updates on the coronavirus outbreak

They have been bailed to appear in court on July 22.

Last week, Services Australia also identified a range of suspicious claims submitted by a western Sydney man.

Australian Federal Police arrested the man who had allegedly assumed 53 fictitious identities to make 65 fraudulent claims for bushfire disaster recovery and JobSeeker payments.

It is alleged that since January 2020, the man had made one fraudulent claim for Newstart allowance, two fraudulent claims for JobSeeker payments.

These include the coronavirus supplement intended to support the JobSeeker payment due to the impact of the coronavirus.

Police charged the man with several offences, including obtaining a financial advantage by deception.

Minister Home Affairs Peter Dutton said in a statement the government was taking fraudulent offences against the welfare system seriously.

“The AFP and Services Australia have ramped up their efforts to make sure we come down heavily on people who seek to rip off taxpayer money that was intended to support people whose lives have been turned upside down by the devastating bushfires or COVID-19,” he said.

“Stealing from the welfare system is not a victimless crime and our government has zero tolerance for those who seek to do so.”