Five charged as investigations continue into $500k Medicare fraud

Five people have been charged after allegedly defrauding Medicare of more than $500,000.

A police investigation began after an unrelated raid of a home in Rosemeadow last September in which police found a number of patient records allegedly stolen from a number of medical clinics in Sydney’s southwest.

Police say they will allege the group of three men and a woman used the records to make thousands of fraudulent Medicare claims, collecting $320,000.

Two of the men have been charged with 19 counts of obtaining a financial advantage by deception.

A 32-year-old faced court today, while a 28-year-old was granted bail to reappear in April.

A third man has been charged with 12 counts of obtaining financial advantage and  possessing identity information to commit an indictable offence.

He was arrested in September last year and was refused bail. He will face the charges at the Campbelltown Local Court March 21.

The woman was arrested last year and faces similar charges including 12 counts of financial deception, proceeds of crime and possessing identity information to commit an indictable offence.

Meanwhile, police also arrested a 40-year-old Chatswood man last month who was not involved in the syndicate but is alleged to have committed fraud offences against Medicare totalling more than $200,000.

The man remains in custody to appear in Hornsby Local Court later in the month.

Police say the investigation is ongoing and they anticipate making further arrests.