Sydney man arrested over $130,000 theft of COVID-19 payments
A Taiwanese national has been arrested after allegedly rorting more than $130,000 in COVID-19 support payments.
The 34-year-old man was arrested in Sydney overnight.
He is accused of being part of a criminal syndicate that siphoned COVID-19 disaster payments and pandemic leave disaster payments into fake bank accounts.
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The man was arrested by an Australian Federal Police and Services Australia taskforce. Eddie Jim.
The syndicate allegedly posed as an accounting agency on a messaging app and offered to submit claims on a person's behalf in exchange for their personal details and an administration fee.
The 34-year-old also allegedly stole several claimants' identities and applied for the payments on their behalf.
Government services minister Bill Shorten called it a "despicable" crime to steal from vulnerable Australians.
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Government services minister Bill Shoten called it a despicable crime. Nine
"Only scumbags steal from flood victims and taxpayers," he said.
"This is taxpayer money designed to help Australians struggling with the impact of COVID-19.
"If you defraud the public purse you will be held to account."
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