The Australian Government’s Fraud Fusion Taskforce (FFT) has charged five people with fraud-related offences during a coordinated national operation targeting entities which allegedly took $235 million in fraudulent Australian Government Payments and Programs (AGPPs) claims.
During operational activity named Operation Integrity Fusion, investigators seized 44 digital devices and 37 cloud-based accounts containing more than 28 terabytes of data from 26 search warrants across Adelaide, the Central Coast, Melbourne, rural Queensland and Sydney.
Investigators also confiscated more than $120,000 in cash, $15,000 in silver bullion, $11,000 in gold coins, and approximately $60,000 worth of jewellery. Documents and other material relevant to ongoing investigations were also seized.
Operation Integrity Fusion relates to alleged fraud across four Australian Government agencies; Department of Education, Department of Veterans’ Affairs, National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), and Services Australia.
The Operation Integrity Fusion period of action was coordinated in partnership with the whole-of-Australian Government Financial Crime and Money Laundering (FCML) Working Group over a three-month period.
Operational activity involved 108 police officers and 156 personnel from the Department of Education, Department of Veterans’ Affairs, National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, and Services Australia. The activity was further supported by members of the NSW Police Force, Queensland Police Service, South Australia Police and Victoria Police.
Across seven investigations, authorities identified approximately $235 million in actual and potential fraud.
It will be alleged those charged defrauded government agencies by unlawfully obtaining personal or government-held information and claiming government-funded rebates and benefits for services that were either not provided, or only partially delivered.
Investigations under Operation Integrity Fusion remain ongoing, and further arrests have not been ruled out.
AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Stephen Raper said defrauding government agencies is a deliberate effort to take money which ultimately comes from the taxpayer.
“Service providers are there to support Australians who need it, and while the majority do the right thing, there are groups in our country who selfishly rort the system for their own personal gain,” Detective Acting Superintendent Raper said.
“We continue to work with our partners in the Fraud Fusion Taskforce to stop targeted fraud which steals the money of honest and hard-working Australians and is a threat to Australia’s national security. Law enforcement and our partners will not stop in our pursuit of these people.”
A Department of Education spokesperson said childcare subsidies are for those who need it.
“Ensuring providers correctly claim Child Care Subsidy protects the integrity of the early childhood education and care sector,” the spokesperson said.
“It ensures that the Child Care Subsidy is available for families with a genuine need for childcare. Anonymous tip offs about childcare fraud can be made online via the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) tip-off form.”
A Department of Veterans’ Affairs spokesperson said funding for veterans’ health and wellbeing is there to support those who have served our nation, not to be exploited for personal gain.
“The overwhelming majority of providers do the right thing, regrettably some do not. Where we identify suspected fraud or serious non-compliance, DVA will act,” the spokesperson said.
“Veterans and their families place their trust in providers to support them, and we will continue working with the AFP and our Fraud Fusion Taskforce partners to protect the integrity of the veteran support system.”
An NDIA spokesperson said safeguarding the NDIS participants was vital.
“NDIS funding is for participant supports, not the pockets of those seeking to exploit the scheme,” the spokesperson said.
“We have strengthened our systems to help prevent fraud, detect suspicious claims earlier and protect funding participants rely on. This action shows how stronger systems and close cooperation with our Fraud Fusion Taskforce partners are defeating fraud.”
NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commissioner Louise Glanville said providers who seek to exploit NDIS funding for personal gain should expect strong regulatory scrutiny.
“Fraud undermines the integrity of the NDIS and diverts funding away from its intended purpose, and the NDIS Commission remains focused on identifying and responding to serious provider misconduct wherever it occurs,” Commissioner Glanville said.
“Protecting the integrity of the NDIS requires a coordinated effort, and we will continue to identify, disrupt and take action against those seeking to misuse Scheme funding.”
A Services Australia spokesperson said the work of the Fraud Fusion Taskforce not only helps agencies detect and disrupt serious fraud, but it also protects Australians.
“Through the Fraud Fusion Taskforce, we’re disrupting scammers who attempt to steal people’s personal information to access their myGov accounts and commit fraud,” the spokesperson said.
“These people aren’t just targeting government payments, they’re targeting payments that Australians rely on to support themselves and their families.
“Operation Integrity Fusion shows the value of agencies working together through the Fraud Fusion Taskforce to identify serious offending, disrupt it and protect both customers and the social security system.”
Operations
Operation Integrity Fusion consisted of the following individual operations (in chronological order of activity).
Operation Hawk (National Disability Insurance Agency) – August
Operation Hawk is an investigation, led by Victoria Police’s Hamilton Crime Investigation Unit and the NDIA, into a man who allegedly defrauded the NDIS of more than $700,000 over a two-year period.
It is alleged he established two businesses to defraud his own NDIS plan and submitted false invoices for services claimed to have been received, before distributing funds into personal bank accounts.
On 26 August, 2026, Victoria Police charged the man with make false documents, dishonestly causing loss to NDIS of more than $700,000, and deal with proceeds of crime.
The man is expected to appear before Horsham Magistrates’ Court on 3 December, 2026.
Operation Rhodonite (National Disability Insurance Agency) – September
Operation Rhodonite is an investigation into an NDIS network where four providers and one plan manager claimed $100 million from the NDIS since 2019.
On 9 September, 2026, two search warrants were executed at residences in Greystanes, NSW, and two search warrants were executed at businesses in Auburn, NSW.
Seized items included 24 digital devices and cloud accounts, 8.2 terabytes of data and physical documents.
Investigations identified activity consistent with money laundering methods, including ATM cash withdrawals of about $5.4 million, gift card purchases of about $1.1 million and purchases of gold bullion.
No people have been arrested and investigations are ongoing.
Operation Fortis-Hailstorm (Department of Education) – September
Operation Fortis-Hailstorm is an investigation into Sydney-based Family Day Care service suspected of claiming Child Care Subsidy (CCS) payments for care which were not provided or overstated.
The service received about $4 million in CCS payments since January 2024 and investigators are examining alleged false attendance claims, inflated hours of care and other irregular patterns of making claims.
On 24 September, 2026, three search warrants were executed in Fairfield West, Wyoming and Gosford, NSW. Seized items included six electronic devices, five cloud-based accounts and about four terabytes of data.
No people have been arrested and investigations are ongoing.
Operation Cedar (Services Australia) – October
Operation Cedar is an investigation into three Sydney-based Chinese nationals who allegedly harvested user details through a phishing scam and then used those details to redirect social security payments.
It will be alleged the criminal syndicate used an SMS phishing scam which directed victims to a fraudulent ‘myGov’ website that requested user details. Once details were obtained, the syndicate accessed Centrelink records and redirected income support payments to bank accounts in their control.
Since March 2025, the syndicate compromised about 2,000 Centrelink records and made more than 3,000 fraudulent transactions, resulting in an identified loss to the Commonwealth of about $2.5 million.
On 7 October, 2026, search warrants were executed in the Sydney CBD and the suburbs of Haymarket and Kingsford. Investigators seized digital devices, clothing and bank cards.
Two women, 23 and 22, and a man, 26, were each charged with one count of dealing in proceeds of crime, contrary to section 400.9 (1A) of the Criminal Code (Cth). The maximum penalty for this offence is two years’ imprisonment and/or a $43,680 fine.
The three people appeared before Downing Centre Court on 8 October, 2026.
Operation Evergreen (Department of Veterans’ Affairs) – October
Operation Evergreen is an investigation into a man, 34, for alleged fraud against the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) totalling more than $29 million.
It is suspected the man billed DVA for services not, or partially, provided by his veterans support business.
On 14 October, 2026, search warrants were executed at locations in the Sydney suburbs of Concord West, Dulwich Hill and North Parramatta, and at Biddaddaba Creek, QLD.
Investigators seized 12 digital devices and five cloud-based accounts, totalling 5.5 terabytes of data.
No arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing.
Operation Inca-Varrakai (National Disability Insurance Agency) – October
Operation Inca-Varrakai is an investigation into an NDIA employee, who allegedly provided 78 NDIS participant records without authorisation to NDIS providers she had a conflict of interest with.
The providers have claimed $21.8 million against NDIS participants plans.
It is alleged this generated more than $1.6 million in NDIS-funded revenue for providers operated by people known to her.
It is also alleged the Adelaide woman, 42, failed to declare her connection with the NDIS providers to her employer as a conflict of interest, and received a financial benefit linked to the referrals.
On 21 October, 2026, investigators from AFP, NDIA, NDIS Commission, Services Australia and South Australia Police executed search warrants at a home in Parkside and a business in Kent Town.
During the search, police located and seized electronic devices which will undergo further forensic analysis.
The woman was charged with one count of abuse of public office by exercising influence, and using information obtained in the course of duties, to dishonestly obtain a benefit, contrary to section 142.2 of the Criminal Code (Cth). This offence carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment.
She is next scheduled to appear in Adelaide Magistrates Court on 9 December, 2026.
Operation Ford-Marcos (National Disability Insurance Agency) – October
Operation Ford-Marcos is an investigation into a syndicate suspected of defrauding the NDIS by claiming financial benefits for services not provided.
Investigations into the syndicate involve six people of interest, 10 key providers and five secondary providers, with total claims of approximately $83 million.
It is suspected the syndicate laundered $6.7 million in cash, gold and jewelry.
On 28 October, 2026, two search warrants were executed in Liverpool and Wakeley, Sydney. During the search, police seized about $60,000 cash, $60,000 in jewellery, $15,000 in silver bullion, $11,000 in gold coins, and a range of digital devices, cloud-based accounts and documents.
No arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing.
