Case studies

A researcher from the University of Queensland claimed to have undertaken research on treatment strategies for Parkinson’s Disease, however the research was never carried out and their research article was entirely fabricated. After learning about the fraud, a second academic chose to continue the fraud and apply for grants using the fraudulent research. The two were convicted and sentenced on 22 charges of fraud and attempted fraud. Both were sentenced to 2 years in prison. This was Australia's first criminal prosecution for research fraud.

A legal firm providing mental health advice made claims for services they did not provide. They also created a company in order to falsify medical reports to back their claims.

A US University allegedly failed to properly account for federal research funds that it received from the National Science Foundation.

A Queensland woman was charged for collecting her late mother’s pension for nearly 20 years which totalled $254,440. The woman’s mother had a separate bank account under a different name which continued to receive payments after her death. The woman regularly withdrew funds from this bank account and updated the address and contact details multiple times over a number of years. The woman was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months imprisonment.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) identified a company had been importing counterfeit condoms. The TGA proactively contacted customers who purchased the counterfeit condoms and organised a recall in addition to taking action against the supplier. The TGA’s response received positive media coverage and boosted public confidence in the TGA.

An Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) employee disclosed sensitive and unpublished ABS data which he obtained in his capacity as a Commonwealth official. This inside information was then used by an associate to conduct trades on the foreign exchange derivatives market. The pair knew that such information could make both of them large amounts of money. One man was sentenced to 7 years and 3 months in prison and the other man was sentenced to 3 years and 3 months in prison

A grant program was designed to enable recipients to upgrade their trade tools and make them more efficient.

A former ACT Ambulance Driver was convicted of defrauding Comcare in 2015 after failing to declare his employment as a taxi driver whilst also receiving worker’s compensation benefits, resulting in him being overpaid $64,418.62.

A Bangladeshi national created documents using the then Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship seal in an effort to extract fees for visa applications, which were never lodged. He defrauded 23 Singapore-based Bangladeshi construction workers. He was also found to have falsely represented himself as an immigration official to seven people in July 2011 during which he told the ‘applicants’ their visa applications had been delayed but would be progressed. Following payment of the initial fee of $1,510, the applicants were asked to pay further fees for medical examinations.

Vulnerabilities within the Australian Government’s Home Insulation Scheme led to systemic fraud. By April 2010 there were 961 cases where more than one insulator had submitted a claim for payment for insulating the same premises. All were referred for further investigation.