A Lithgow woman has been charged after allegedly posing as a volunteer firefighter to claim relief funds of more than $190,000.
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Detectives from Chifley Police District began inquiries after multiple submissions were allegedly made between Friday 17 January 2020 and Saturday 20 June 2020, applying for the bushfire volunteer firefighter payment.
Under the scheme, each volunteer could claim up to $6000. Police stress that the woman is not - and never has been - a volunteer firefighter.
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Police will allege a 49-year-old Lithgow woman submitted 522 claims online and was paid for 34, for a total of more than $190,000.
Following inquiries, detectives executed a search warrant at a home on Calero Street, Lithgow, shortly after 9am on Wednesday, 2 December, and arrested the woman at the scene.
Several items including clothing, electrical items and identification were also seized.
The woman was taken to Lithgow Police Station where she was charged with 34 counts of dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception, and four counts of dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception (attempted).
She was granted strict conditional bail to appear before Lithgow Local Court on Thursday 28 January 2021.
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