Man accused of scamming $24,000 via phony bushfire relief claims

The man is accused of scamming the NSW Government and not-for-profit agencies out of $24,000 for bushfire disaster relief.

A man will front court on Tuesday charged with scamming more than $24,000 out of the NSW Government and not-for-profit agencies by lodging phony claims for bushfire disaster relief.

Detectives launched an investigation in February into allegations of fraudulent claims for bushfire disaster compensation made by a 23-year-old man on the state’s north coast.

On Sunday afternoon officers were called to a home in Kempsey following an unrelated domestic incident and arrested the man before taking him to the local police station.

He was slapped with 13 charges.

These include five counts of dishonestly obtaining property by deception, four counts of obtaining a financial advantage by deception and two counts of dealing in identification information and using it to commit fraud.

Charges also relate to stalking and intimidation.

Police will allege the Kempsey man lodged several bushfire disaster relief claims through both government and not-for-profit agencies and fraudulently obtained $24,500.

He was refused bail and will appear in Coffs Harbour Local Court on Tuesday.