A WOMAN accused of defrauding bushfire and COVID-19 disaster relief grants allegedly registered fake Australian Business Numbers or used ABNs linked to legitimate businesses in order to dupe the state government into transferring her $60,000 over a nearly four-month period.
And the 32-year-old woman, who remains behind bars, also allegedly attempted to fraudulently apply for six other different state government grants, including $50,000 and $10,000 bushfire small business grants, COVID-19 small business support grants and export assistance grants, in a bid to trick the government into sending her another $133,000.
The woman, who the Newcastle Herald has chosen not to identify due to legal reasons, also allegedly twice applied for a Tasmanian Department of Health $10,000 COVID-19 Primary Healthcare Grant, during which she claimed to work at or operate pharmacies in Tasmania.
Half of the 12 NSW state government grant applications the woman allegedly made were knocked back, but her case highlights just how easy it has been for opportunists and fraudsters to obtain large sums of money through the government's grants programs.
Armed only with a name, email address, business address, phone number and an ABN, the woman - and dozens just like her - have been able to fraudulently obtain tens of thousands of dollars in relief funding, money earmarked to help vulnerable communities during one of the most difficult years in recent memory.
In fact, according to court documents, the woman's alleged fraud meant that genuine small business owners were unable to obtain badly needed financial assistance.
At that stage they had charged half a dozen people in the Hunter.
Since then that number has exploded, with detectives charging more alleged fraudsters each week.
Morgan Lea Shotton pleaded guilty last week to fraudulently obtaining bushfire relief grants through her Charlestown business.
Ellen Louise Howard, 31, of Aberdare, was arrested in November and accused of applying for 34 support and recovery payments she was not entitled to between March and September last year. She was allegedly granted 11 payments, totalling $104,000, and attempted to obtain a further $258,000 in grants which she did not get.
Meanwhile, another alleged fraudster, Bree Jessica Cannon, did not appear in Belmont Local Court on Wednesday to face four counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.
Police allege that between April and August last year the 27-year-old fraudulently applied for four bushfire and COVID-19 grants, receiving nearly $21,000.
Ms Cannon's matter was adjourned until February 10, when she was warned that a warrant would be issued for her arrest if she failed to attend.
