Employer lines own pockets with "Back to Work" grants

Publisher
Queensland Police
Date published
November 2020

Relevant impacts: Human impact, government outcomes impact, financial impact and business impact.

A 45 year-old Brisbane man has been charged for attempting to defraud the Queensland Government’s "Back to Work" program.

The man allegedly submitted multiple fraudulent applications over a 2-year period, allegedly attempting to obtain over $1.2 million from the scheme designed to help employed Queenslanders get back on their feet.

The man allegedly received an actual sum of over $120,000 in fraudulent grants. He has been charged with one count of fraud, attempted fraud, money laundering, possess tainted property and possession of dangerous drugs and 2 counts of dealing with identification information.

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Related fraudster personas

The Fabricator

The Fabricator invents or produces something that is false to dishonestly gain personal benefits.

The Impersonator

The Impersonator pretends they are another person or entity to dishonestly gain personal benefits.

Related countermeasures

Collaborate with strategic partners

Collaborate with strategic partners such as other government entities, committees, working groups and taskforces. This allows you to share capability, information and intelligence and to prevent and disrupt fraud.

Declarations or acknowledgements

Use declarations or acknowledgments to both communicate and confirm that a person understands their obligations and the consequences for non-compliance. The declaration could be written or verbal, and should encourage compliance and deter fraud.

Clear and specific eligibility requirements

Clear eligibility requirements and only approve requests or claims that meet the criteria. This can include internal requests for staff access to systems or information.

Data analysis

Analyse data to improve processes and controls, increase payment accuracy and find and prevent non-compliance, fraud and corruption.

Confirm identity

Confirm the identity or attribute of the individual. Evidence of identity should be collected and verified using policies, rules, processes and systems to make sure only known, authorised identities can gain access to information stored in networks and systems.

Verify information

Verify any requests or claim information you receive with an independent and credible source.

Match data

Match data with the authoritative source and verify relevant details or supporting evidence. Services such as the Identity Matching Service can be used to verify identity credentials back to the authoritative source when the information is an Australian or state and territory government issued identity credential. This countermeasure is supported by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner's Guidelines on data matching in Australian government administration.

Automatic notifications

Automatically notify clients or staff about high-risk events or transactions. This can alert them to potential fraud and avoid delays in investigating and responding to fraud.

Fraud detection software

Fraud detection software programs automatically analyse data to detect what is different from what is standard, normal or expected and may indicate fraud or corruption.

Audits or reviews

Internal or external audits or reviews evaluate the process, purpose and outcome of activities. Clients, public officials or contractors can take advantage of weaknesses in government programs and systems to commit fraud, act corruptly, and avoid exposure.

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