HAVE YOU BEEN ACCUSED OF CENTRELINK FRAUD?
The criminal offence of Centrelink Fraud can have severe repercussions, with legislation permitting the Courts to impose sentences of imprisonment upon people convicted of Centrelink Fraud. The Australian and NSW Governments and their authorities and agencies take a hardline approach against the criminal offence of Centrelink Fraud. If you or anyone you know have been accused or charged with a Centrelink Fraud offence, contact our specialised criminal lawyers at Criminal Lawyers Group immediately for a free consultation.
WHAT IS CENTRELINK FRAUD AND WHAT ARE THE PUNISHMENTS?
The criminal offence of Centrelink Fraud is criminalised by way of respective provisions in the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).
Section 134.2 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth) constitutes it a criminal offence to dishonestly and by a deception obtain a financial advantage from another person, if the other person is a Commonwealth entity. A person convicted under this provision is liable for a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Section 135.1 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth) makes it an offence to do anything with the intention of dishonestly obtaining a gain from another person, if the other person is a Commonwealth entity. A person convicted under this provision is liable for a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Section 135.2 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth) makes it an offence for a person to engage in conduct which results in the person obtaining a financial advantage for himself or herself from another person, where the person knows or believes that he or she is not eligible to receive that financial advantage; and the other person is a Commonwealth entity. A person convicted under this provision is liable for a maximum term of imprisonment of 12 months.
CENTRELINK FIGHTS DISASTER PAYMENT FRAUD
Our Principal and award-winning criminal lawyer Mr Steven Mercael attributes a large number of accused opportunistic Centrelink Fraud offences as occurring within the scope of Federal Government disaster payments.
The Federal Government disaster payments are generally, by their nature, attempted to be offered to victims of disasters in a time efficient manner and often involve large numbers of victims of disasters applying within a short passage of time. As such, opportunistic offenders are known to have tried to take advantage and illegally gain access to such funds amidst the respective disasters. However, the Federal Government has methods in place to detect potential fraud and prevent the release of such funds, with alleged offenders vulnerable to criminal charges.
Between the period of January 2022 and February 2024, approximately 33,000 people allegedly tried to fraudulently claim around $33 million of the Federal Government’s disaster recovery payments. The payments were blocked by Centrelink’s fraud checks.
The former Government Services Minister The Hon Bill Shorten issued a warning to potential offenders of Centrelink Fraud, promising serious consequences and stating “It’s not a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’ you’ll be caught”.
MORE THAN 250 PEOPLE CONVICTED OF CENTRELINK DISASTER PAYMENT FRAUD
Over 250 people have been convicted of the criminal offence of Centrelink Fraud through disaster payments since July 2019. Among the 250 people convicted of Centrelink Fraud is a man who was convicted and sentenced after pleading guilty to using 66 fake identities and 17 stolen identities to fraudulently claim payments for the Far North Queensland floods that occurred in February 2019. The man was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 4 years and was ordered to repay the money that he had obtained through the Centrelink Fraud.
Another conviction of Centrelink Fraud involved a Queensland man who used 5 stolen identities to claim fake payments for the NSW floods in March 2021. He was sentenced to a term of 122 days imprisonment.
Other people convicted of Centrelink Fraud included those whose Centrelink Fraud involved providing fake or doctored images, using a fake address and one-off claims for bogus damage.
CONTACT CRIMINAL LAWYERS GROUP NOW
If you or anyone you know have been accused or charged with a Centrelink Fraud offence, contact our specialised fraud lawyers at Criminal Lawyers Group immediately for a free consultation. Our award-winning criminal law experts have proven results in securing not guilty verdicts and avoiding serious penalties for our clients across NSW who have been charged with Centrelink Fraud offences.