Woman charged over alleged bushfire and COVID-19 assistance fraud

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Detectives have charged a woman from Warners Bay over alleged fraud relating to bushfire support recovery grants.

Strike Force Roche was established in April 2020 by several police districts within the Northern Region to investigate alleged fraudulent claims for bushfire disaster relief and small business grants through government agencies.

It’s alleged that between April and August 2020, a 27-year-old woman fraudulently applied for four Bushfire and COVID-19 Government Grants.

The woman received almost $21,000 in grants.

Following extensive inquiries, strike force detectives arrested the woman at Belmont Police Station at about 3pm today (Wednesday 2 December).

She was charged with two counts of dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception, and two counts of attempt dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception.

She was given conditional bail to appear at Belmont Local Court on Wednesday 20 January 2021.