A 3.5 year sentence for Melbourne man who attempted to defraud ATO of $458,000
Date published
December 2023
Relevant impacts: Reputational impact, Financial impact
A Melbourne man was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months imprisonment for defrauding the Australian Tax Office (ATO) of $35,000 and for an attempt to defraud a further $458,000.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) and ATO Serious Financial Crime Taskforce began an investigation after the ATO linked the man to a number of suspicious claims, including 40 fraudulent JobKeeper applications.
The man, 35, pleaded guilty to 2 counts of attempting to obtain financial advantage by deception and one count of obtaining financial advantage by deception in the Melbourne Magistrates Court in May 2023.
Related fraudster personas
Related countermeasures
Providing clear statements and communications on entity practices and responses can help prevent staff and clients falling victim to scams or slipping into non-compliance, while discouraging fraudulent or corrupt activities.
Providing clear statements and communications on entity practices to detect and respond to fraud can discourage fraudulent or corrupt activities. Staff and clients will be less able to rationalise or justify fraudulent or corrupt conduct when informed of the outcomes of fraud.
Make sure requests or claims use a specific form, process or system for consistency.
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.
Have processes in place to prevent, identify and correct duplicate records, identities, requests or claims.
Train and support staff to identify red flags to detect fraud, know what to do if they suspect fraud and know how to report it. Fraudsters can take advantage if staff and contractors are not aware of what constitutes fraud and corruption.
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.
Investigate fraud in line with the Australian Government Investigation Standards (AGIS).
These are penalties for customers, staff or third parties that commit fraud or do not comply with rules, processes and expectations.
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