Travel agent racks up $110,000 in fraud charges
A Northern Territory-based travel agent has been charged with rorting the NT government funded pensioner travel concession scheme in excess of $110,000.
According to a report in NT News, travel agent Vanessa Barrett has indicated she will “plead guilty to defrauding the taxpayer of more than $110,000 by obtaining benefit by deception”, according to the courts and her lawyer.
Barrett is the latest travel agent to face charges over the scam which involves agencies invoicing the NT government for a full priced plane ticket under the pensioner travel concession scheme before issuing a discounted ticket to the pensioner, the paper explains.
Per the paper, police have previously claimed the latest arrest is part of an continuing investigation by the major fraud squad into allegations against the scheme.
Travel agents have previously been convicted of defrauding the scheme of sums between $12,000 and $124,000, the NT News reports.
This latest case is expected to return to court on May 31, per the paper.
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
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what were the NT govt asleep ? Then again, why can’t the agent charge whatever they wanted for a ticket ? The price paid by the agent is none of the NT govts business. Do flight Centre disclose what they actual pay the airline net ? I don’t think so.