Post by bear on Aug 15, 2022 16:03:20 GMT 7
NDIS taskforce to hunt down organised crime groups 'robbing' billions from disability clients
A police taskforce to hunt down organised crime groups exploiting the National Disability Insurance Scheme will be established by the government in coming weeks, the NDIS Minister says.
Key points:
Australia's criminal intelligence agency believes billions are being defrauded from the NDIS
Organised crime groups have allegedly infiltrated the disability scheme
A police taskforce will be established to expose the fraudsters
An investigation by Nine newspapers has alleged members of the Hamzy and Alameddine crime groups in Sydney and other organised criminal gangs have been rorting billions of dollars from the NDIS scheme.
The head of the Criminal Intelligence Commission, Michael Phelan, told Nine newspapers that criminals were systemically "ripping off our most vulnerable people".
Mr Phelan said there was evidence of criminals creating fake clients, skimming money, exploiting and intimidating clients and using pharmacy employees as "spotters" to find new NDIS clients to target.
The head of a dark-haired police officer wearing rimless glasses and standing in front of a Crime Stoppers poster
Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission boss Michael Phelan says organised crime groups have infiltrated the NDIS.(AAP: Mick Tsikas)
NDIS Minister Bill Shorten gave a scathing assessment, as he announced a multi-agency taskforce would be established to track down fraudsters.
"I think they're literally gutless cowards," Mr Shorten told Nine this morning.
NDIS funding disputes are on the rise
Some people who rely on the National Disability Insurance Scheme claim it has an adversarial approach that is pushing them to despair, with lengthy battles over funding becoming increasingly common.
"They may think they're tough, some of these organised crime people. They may boast amongst themselves how clever they are.
"The rest of Australia despises this. And what we're going to do is make sure that the NDIS is only for the people who need it."
Mr Shorten said he had warned the former government of massive fraud in the scheme.
He said he suspected there was exploitation and coercion by criminal gangs, but also that there may be people unconnected to organised crime who were padding bills and "robbing the scheme".
The minister said there must be more due diligence on the invoices of people claiming to have provided services.
A police taskforce to hunt down organised crime groups exploiting the National Disability Insurance Scheme will be established by the government in coming weeks, the NDIS Minister says.
Key points:
Australia's criminal intelligence agency believes billions are being defrauded from the NDIS
Organised crime groups have allegedly infiltrated the disability scheme
A police taskforce will be established to expose the fraudsters
An investigation by Nine newspapers has alleged members of the Hamzy and Alameddine crime groups in Sydney and other organised criminal gangs have been rorting billions of dollars from the NDIS scheme.
The head of the Criminal Intelligence Commission, Michael Phelan, told Nine newspapers that criminals were systemically "ripping off our most vulnerable people".
Mr Phelan said there was evidence of criminals creating fake clients, skimming money, exploiting and intimidating clients and using pharmacy employees as "spotters" to find new NDIS clients to target.
The head of a dark-haired police officer wearing rimless glasses and standing in front of a Crime Stoppers poster
Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission boss Michael Phelan says organised crime groups have infiltrated the NDIS.(AAP: Mick Tsikas)
NDIS Minister Bill Shorten gave a scathing assessment, as he announced a multi-agency taskforce would be established to track down fraudsters.
"I think they're literally gutless cowards," Mr Shorten told Nine this morning.
NDIS funding disputes are on the rise
Some people who rely on the National Disability Insurance Scheme claim it has an adversarial approach that is pushing them to despair, with lengthy battles over funding becoming increasingly common.
"They may think they're tough, some of these organised crime people. They may boast amongst themselves how clever they are.
"The rest of Australia despises this. And what we're going to do is make sure that the NDIS is only for the people who need it."
Mr Shorten said he had warned the former government of massive fraud in the scheme.
He said he suspected there was exploitation and coercion by criminal gangs, but also that there may be people unconnected to organised crime who were padding bills and "robbing the scheme".
The minister said there must be more due diligence on the invoices of people claiming to have provided services.
"It's a mystery to me why different parts of government don't talk to each other better … I'm not satisfied there is sufficient communication between the National Disability Insurance Agency, the tax office, policing. It shouldn't be this way, but it is," Mr Shorten told ABC Radio.
"And I don't understand why more hasn't been done earlier."
NDIS anti-fraud teams have recovered a small portion of the alleged billions that have been defrauded from the scheme, charging 18 people since 2020 with a total of about $14 million in alleged fraud.
www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-15/ndis-disability-taskforce-to-target-organised-crime-fraud/101332668
www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-15/ndis-disability-taskforce-to-target-organised-crime-fraud/101332668
