An investigation by the Albanese government's Fraud Fusion Taskforce has led to three men facing court dates over alleged fraud-related offences against the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Early Tuesday morning, Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers executed search warrants across three separate residences in Western Sydney over alleged fraudulent activity totalling over $3.3 million following an investigation by the Fraud Fusion Taskforce.
The activity led to a man's arrest and two men being issued with Court Attendance Notices for offences including Obtain Financial Gain by Deception and Dealing in Proceeds of Crime. The arrested man was granted conditional bail and will appear in court on April 04, 2023. Meanwhile, the two other men will appear in court on March 21, 2023.
“The Fraud Fusion Taskforce is now able to draw on greater cross-agency collaboration, which means wider knowledge and a better ability to detect and catch any criminal who targets the NDIS,” NDIS Minister the Hon. Bill Shorten MP said.
“My warning to any criminal attempting to defraud the NDIS – get off our scheme.”
Last year, Shorten vowed to stop fraudsters from targeting the NDIS following the Australian Crime and Intelligence Commission's warning that organised crime groups were stealing more than $1.5 billion from the scheme every year.
In the latest fraudulent activity, the three men allegedly set up or acquired businesses as disability providers before submitting false claims for NDIS services that were never provided. The latest developments followed the earlier arrest of a Brisbane man for alleged fraud against the NDIS.
Shorten encourages anyone with information about suspected fraud involving the NDIS to contact the NDIS fraud reporting and scams helpline on 1800 650 717 or [email protected].
