By Alesha Capone
Police and the Department of Human Services have warned “welfare cheats” living in the Werribee region that they could face criminal charges if they are caught rorting the Centrelink system.
In a statement issued today, the DHS and Australian Federal Police advised the “Taskforce Integrity” team would be launching a “crackdown” in areas which are “known hotspots” for welfare non-compliance.
When the taskforce last visited Werribee in 2015, it identified more than 2600 individuals who had received almost $11 million worth of benefits they were not entitled to.
This dollar figure was the largest result from a single site in the taskforce’s three-year history.
During a previous investigation in Werribee, a person who had lied about their employment history was prosecuted after they were found to have fraudulently obtained more than $95,000 in income support payments across several years.
In another case, a person was discovered to be fraudulently claiming to be a carer, in order to access more than $45,000 in payments.
The Taskforce Integrity statement said that during the next few days, its members would be maintaining a visible presence inside the Werribee and Sunshine Centrelink offices.
Taskforce members said they would also be present at the Pacific Werribee Shopping Centre, where they would be “available to take tip-offs from members of the public”.
“Tip-offs are an important source of information for investigators and it is not uncommon for fraudsters to be dobbed in by their own families or neighbours if they are doing the wrong thing,” the statement said.
“Investigators will also be busy behind the scenes conducting snap audits on those who have a history of non-compliance, or whose case files have been flagged due to suspicious activity.
“This operation is not about penalising people who make genuine errors. Its focus is on enforcing the law and targeting those who deliberately set out to commit welfare fraud.”
If the taskforce finds evidence of criminal behaviour, they will refer the matter to the federal director of public prosecutions.
See www.humanservices.gov.au/fraud for information.
