Post by Banker on Mar 23, 2012 15:06:54 GMT 7
FRAUD and theft is costing federal government agencies nearly half a billion dollars a year.
One agency, Centrelink, investigated almost 25,000 suspected incidents of fraud totalling nearly $76 million.
Of those, 3500 cases were prosecuted, with a conviction rate of nearly 100 per cent.
The figures are contained in a report by the Australian Institute of Criminology, which drew together 2009/10 data from 152 commonwealth agencies.
It said a total of $498 million was lost to the Commonwealth through fraud, misuse or theft.
The report listed 613,527 incidents of people claiming benefits for which they were not entitled.
Cases of visa and citizenship fraud totalled 66,302.
Accessing information on computers without authorisation (1011 incidents) was the most common form of fraud committed by staff at government agencies.
Obtaining or using personal information without authorisation (869 incidents) was also common.
All up, the agencies surveyed by the commission reported 706,000 incidents of internal and external fraud - almost 12 per cent lower than the previous year.
But losses arising from internal fraud increased by almost 10 per cent.
Justice Minister Jason Clare said much of the information in the report was encouraging.
"But it is clear that there is a lot more work to do," he said at the launch of the report.
"Fraud hurts the financial integrity of the Commonwealth, but more importantly it affects the integrity of the public sector and the public trust invested in it."
goo.gl/xbevP
One agency, Centrelink, investigated almost 25,000 suspected incidents of fraud totalling nearly $76 million.
Of those, 3500 cases were prosecuted, with a conviction rate of nearly 100 per cent.
The figures are contained in a report by the Australian Institute of Criminology, which drew together 2009/10 data from 152 commonwealth agencies.
It said a total of $498 million was lost to the Commonwealth through fraud, misuse or theft.
The report listed 613,527 incidents of people claiming benefits for which they were not entitled.
Cases of visa and citizenship fraud totalled 66,302.
Accessing information on computers without authorisation (1011 incidents) was the most common form of fraud committed by staff at government agencies.
Obtaining or using personal information without authorisation (869 incidents) was also common.
All up, the agencies surveyed by the commission reported 706,000 incidents of internal and external fraud - almost 12 per cent lower than the previous year.
But losses arising from internal fraud increased by almost 10 per cent.
Justice Minister Jason Clare said much of the information in the report was encouraging.
"But it is clear that there is a lot more work to do," he said at the launch of the report.
"Fraud hurts the financial integrity of the Commonwealth, but more importantly it affects the integrity of the public sector and the public trust invested in it."
goo.gl/xbevP