The Financial Crime and Money Laundering Working Group (FCML) and the Australian Government Fraud Fusion Taskforce (FFT) have jointly executed 33 search warrants across Australia as part of a national crackdown on Commonwealth fraud.
The FCML is a joint working group comprised of Commonwealth, State and Territory law enforcement, intelligence and regulatory partners focussed on tackling serious financial crime and money laundering.
The FFT is a multi-agency taskforce comprising 24 agencies, co-led by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and Services Australia, and also includes the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (NDIS Commission), the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) and the AFP, focusing on high-risk and serious criminal activity targeting government programs designed to help those most in need.
The AFP-coordinated operations involved more than 75 investigators from the AFP, Services Australia, NDIA, NDIS Commission and Department of Education, supported by the ACIC, NSW Police Force, South Australia Police, Western Australia Police Force, Northern Territory Police Force and Queensland Police Service, disrupting more than $50 million in alleged fraud across six individual investigations.
These investigations commenced following a meeting of the Financial Crime and Money Laundering Working Group - formerly known as Operation Themis - to target the finances of organised criminal groups.
This is the first FFT activity to have Commonwealth powers utilised by state policing agencies as part of a coordinated effort to disrupt organised criminal groups defrauding the Commonwealth to fund illicit ventures impacting on State and Territory law enforcement and communities.
Following ACIC intelligence, one FFT investigation - codenamed Operation Banksia - concerns an organised crime group operating in Western Sydney and Adelaide suspected to have claimed more than $40 million in NDIS funding.
It is believed the syndicate has submitted hundreds of claims for services which were never delivered on behalf of participants, who were at the time incarcerated for unrelated offences. Inquiries into the syndicate remain ongoing with charges anticipated in the future.
The NDIS Commission issued a notice of suspension and 12 notices of intention to refuse or revoke registration and to ban a number of individuals and providers.
The NDIS Commission's investigations are continuing, and further regulatory action is expected.
Search warrants have been executed in Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland with more than 43 terabytes of data seized by forensic investigators across the disruption operations.
The AFP and FFT partners are continuing investigations into the alleged frauds and further charges are likely.
AFP Commander Jason Kennedy said organised crime groups seeking to defraud government programs designed to help those most in need are on notice.
"The AFP works closely with its partners in the Fraud Fusion Taskforce to create a force multiplier and stop targeted fraud that ultimately steals the money of honest and hard-working Australians," Commander Kennedy said.
"Members of our community have allegedly been targeted, exploited and threatened by groups looking to fill their own pockets and steal public funds set aside for Australians who are reliant on this support.
"The AFP will not stop in its pursuit of these groups who chop and change companies in a cynical effort to hide their criminal behaviour from law enforcement."
Services Australia Deputy CEO Chris Birrer noted the coordinated response across government agencies was crucial.
"The collaboration fostered by the Fraud Fusion Taskforce is helping us keep Australia's social security and healthcare systems safe from organised criminals," Mr Birrer said.
NDIA acting CEO Scott McNaughton said the operations demonstrate the power of a united response across the AFP, state and territory law enforcement and Fraud Fusion Taskforce partners to protect vulnerable people with disability from exploitation.
"We are identifying and disrupting high-risk networks earlier and preventing criminals from targeting NDIS participants," Mr McNaughton said.
"Anyone attempting to take advantage of participants and defraud the NDIS should expect to be caught and held accountable."
ACIC Acting National Manager Operational Analysis, Sharyn Matthews, noted ACIC's role as the intelligence lead for the Taskforce.
"The ACIC will continue to work closely with our partners to identify and disrupt serious and organised crime, including efforts to defraud the NDIS and target our vulnerable communities," Mrs Matthews said.
NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commissioner Louise Glanville said there's no excuse to prey on people with a disability who use the service.
"NDIS providers and workers who commit fraud undermine both the sustainability of the scheme and the human rights of people with disability - as a formidable regulator, we will continue to work closely with our Fraud Fusion Taskforce partners to root out this conduct and protect the integrity of the NDIS," Commissioner Glanville said.
Anyone with information about suspected fraud involving the NDIS should contact the NDIS fraud reporting and scams helpline on 1800 650 717, or email [email protected].
If you suspect someone may be committing fraud against Medicare, Centrelink or Child Support, you should report it. This can be done via filling out an online form or calling the Services Australia Fraud tip-off line on 131 524
Anyone with information about suspected Child Care Subsidy fraud should contact the Department of Education compliance and enforcement team via their website.
Fraud Fusion Task Force Operations:
Statistics:
- Six operations (3 NDIA, 2 Services Australia and 1 Department of Education (DOE) in four states (New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia).
- 33 warrants were executed (13 NDIA, 19 Services Australia, 1 DOE).
- 16 regulatory activities executed by NDIS Quality and Safeguard Commission (NQSC) (BANKSIA 13, DAEWOO 3) with a further 13 expected to be served in the future.
- Two Australian Taxation Office (ATO) debt notices are planned to be served on POI's post warrant (BANKSIA, HOWELL).
- More than 250 staff involved (AFP, SAPOL, QPOL, WAPOL, NSWPOL and NTPOL 83, Services Australia 81, NDIA 75 and DOE 13) with significant FFT and Law Enforcement resource investment in the resolution activity over multiple weeks due to the scale of the activity.
- Items seized include 228 devices, 67 cloud accounts and 43TB of data.
NDIA Investigations
South Australia - Operation Daewoo
In October 2025, South Australian Police, supported by the NDIA executed four search warrants across Adelaide under Operation Daewoo. The NDIA-led operation is investigating an alleged fraud syndicate that has claimed more than $1.2 million in NDIS funds.
It will be alleged the syndicate has stolen from participants' plans.
New South Wales & South Australia - Operation Banksia
Operation Banksia is an investigation into an organised crime syndicate allegedly operating multiple NDIS providers in Western Sydney and Adelaide that have allegedly claimed over $40 million in NDIS funds.
It is alleged the network have submitted hundreds of claims where services were not delivered, including claims for participants that were incarcerated at the time the alleged service was delivered.
In November, the NSW Police Force Financial Crimes Squad, AFP Fraud Fusion Taskforce and South Australia Police executed five warrants across NSW and South Australia collecting evidence against the alleged syndicate.
New South Wales - Operation Howell
Operation Howell is an investigation into a network of NDIS providers operating in Western Sydney that have allegedly claimed over $7 million from the program. It will be alleged the network has submitted hundreds of fraudulent claims for services not provided to participants.
Three search warrants were executed in Western Sydney in November by AFP Fraud Fusion Taskforce with the assistance of the NSW Police Force Financial Crimes Squad.
Services Australia Investigations
New South Wales - Operation Gardenia
AFP Fraud Fusion Taskforce and NSW Police Force Financial Crimes Squad, with the assistance of 27 Services Australia investigators, executed multiple search warrants across Sydney including the POI's businesses in November 2025.
It will be alleged the program recipient was making claims while failing to declare their involvement with five other companies and attempted to obscure this income from the ATO.
Queensland - Operation Stockton (November 2025)
Operation Stockton is an investigation into alleged large-scale Medicare fraud facilitated through social media platforms. It will be alleged that a Queensland-based man linked to a Brisbane street gang, lodged more than 150 false claims across Medicare records between September 2023 and September 2025, resulting in an alleged $542,883 loss to the Commonwealth.
Department of Education
Western Australia - Operation Wolfsburg (November 2025)
Operation Wolfsburg is an investigation into alleged fraud against the Commonwealth by a family day care educator located in Perth. It will be alleged the provider has received over $2 million in Child Care Subsidy (CCS) that is fraudulent.
This investigation is part of a broader crack-down on fraud in early childhood education and care services, including educators inflating hours and claiming CCS for care that did not take place.
In November 2025 - as part of the AG FFT efforts - the Australian Government Department of Education commenced further spot checks with the assistance of Western Australia Police Force on services claiming CCS.
