Home › Fraud › Financial advantage by deception
The whole idea in one picture
This is the charge behind a lot of fraud cases. The "benefit" is broad — money, yes, but also a loan, a refund, a service, or a debt avoided.
It's any deception used to get a financial leg-up you weren't entitled to. Common examples:
Because the deception lives in records and accounts, the case is usually built from the paper and data trail:
Where it's heard tracks the value and complexity:
Penalties where you are
Charged as fraud. Summary matters under $5,000 are heard in the Local Court, up to 2 years.
The whole case turns on dishonesty and intent, so that's where defences focus:
A genuine mistake or misunderstanding.
You honestly believed you were entitled to the benefit.
You were given permission to act as you did.
You acted openly, or relied on bad advice.
Whether you were dishonest — or simply mistaken or entitled — is usually the whole case. We can point you to lawyers in your state.
Read this first
This page explains how these charges generally work — it can't tell you what will happen in your case. This offence sits under general fraud or deception laws, which vary by state. If you're under investigation or charged, talk to a criminal lawyer before answering questions.
