Australia is continuing to crack down on welfare fraud across Australia. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation Photo)
Australia`s ongoing campaign against welfare fraud by wealthy people across Australia has forced more than 1,000 people to return tens of millions of Australian dollars in welfare payments, a wake-up call for lucky people.
(DHS), the Human Services Department, and (AUSTRAC), the Australian Trade report Analysis Center, launched a joint operation to examine welfare recipients with large amounts of unexplained flows in bank accounts, according to Aussa and the Tahrena Mercury News. 1000 cases of fraud have been seized across the country.
The authorities` investigations are reported to be continuing and equal to the powers of the AUSTRAC and other law enforcement agencies to investigate money-laundering, drug trafficking and terrorism.
Those who were unable to explain the source of money to the Department of Human Services, or who failed to report their income in a timely manner, were asked to return untrue benefits, saving Australian taxpayers A $43.4 million. An average of A $42,999 is returned per person who does not actually receive benefits.
In the new state, a disability benefit recipient was asked to refund A $ one hundred and sixty thousand because he could not explain the source of A $ seven hundred thousand that had been deposited in his bank account over a four-year period.
In Tazhou, the authorities recovered A $672245. At an average of A $42,999 per person, as many as 15 people in the state have been found to be untrue recipients of benefits.
Under Australia`s Anti-money laundering and counter-Terrorism Finance Act of 2006, banks and other financial institutions are required to report suspicious financial flows to the AUSTRAC on their own initiative.
According to the data comparison agreement signed between the Human Services Department and the AUSTRAC, those suspicious transfers will automatically be cross-checked with Human Services data to determine whether there is an overpayment of benefits.
Federal Human Services Secretary Keenan (Michael Keenan) warns that those who deceive the welfare system cannot escape. "protecting the integrity of the welfare system is a major priority for the (Malcolm Turnbull) government, which will spare no effort to identify those who abuse the welfare system," he said.
"Australia has a very generous welfare system, but it needs integrity to ensure that those in real need of help are supported," Keenan said, adding that the seized cases were a wake-up call for those who thought they could deceive Australian taxpayers. Keenan warned welfare swindlers that the authorities would leave them alone, and that they would not only be forced to return the extra money, but would also face serious consequences.
Keenan also told reporters in Sydney on Friday that the Australian government "will not tolerate fraud in the welfare system, and certainly will not tolerate the fraud of wealthy people."
