We work with other government bodies to combat fraud against the Australia Government.
This can include welfare fraud, tax fraud and electoral fraud. It can range from making false statements, to serious and organised crimes, or avoiding tax or rigging elections.
Welfare fraud
You're committing welfare fraud if you:
- claim a welfare payment or service using a false identity, or someone else’s
- give false or misleading information, such as reporting less income than you earned
- don’t give information about something such as assets or income
- don’t say you're living with someone as a couple
- continue to get a welfare payment for a person who has died or left your care
- don’t say you left Australia on a trip or to live, while getting a payment.
Reporting welfare fraud
If you think someone is committing welfare fraud, you can report them to Service Australia anonymously by:
- filling out Services Australia's online form
- contacting the Services Australia Fraud Tip-off Line on 131 524.
Electoral fraud
You are committing electoral fraud if you:
- use a false name to enrol to vote
- vote more than once at an election
- impersonate another person and vote in their name
- illegally remove a ballot paper from an election booth
- supply ballot papers without authority
- destroy, take or tamper with a ballot paper
- destroy, take, interfere with or open a ballot box without authorisation.
Reporting electoral fraud
Report suspected fraud to the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) by:
- filling out AEC's online form
- phoning the AEC's fraud line on 1300 795 898.
Tax fraud
You are committing tax fraud if you:
- evade paying tax
- make false claims on your tax return.
A company can also commit tax fraud through such things as:
- paying cash in hand to its staff.
- liquidating to avoid paying tax then starting a new company without the debt (phoenixing).
Common forms of tax evasion include using offshore tax havens and money laundering.
Reporting tax fraud
Report suspected tax fraud to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) by:
- filling out ATO's online tip-off form
-
phoning the ATO tip-off hotline on 1800 060 062.
Our response
We're involved in several multi-agency taskforces that strengthen Australia's capability to respond fraud against the Commonwealth.
- Taskforce Integrity
- Fraud Fusion Taskforce
- Operation Ashiba
- Serious Financial Crime Taskforce
Find out more about what we're doing to combat fraud and corruption.