Woman who stole $91,000 from Centrelink forced to pay it back
A Melbourne childcare worker who stole over $91,000 from Centrelink will spend three months behind bars before having to repay it.
31-year-old Ikraam Mohamud pleaded guilty to taking welfare payments from the agency after failing to notify Centrelink of her income while working at seven childcare centres between 2012 and 2017.
Across Melbourne, the fraudster earned $3143 a fortnight as well as an additional $710 in childcare benefits from Centrelink – totalling almost $90,000 over five years.
The court has ordered Miss Mohamud to repay $88,000 to Centrelink in fortnightly instalments of $15.
This means the money will take 226 years to be paid off.
The single mother will be leaving her two children, aged eight and 14 months old, whle she serves out her three-month jail sentence.