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Fraud Investigation

The Fraud Investigation Unit has been in existence for many years. The Unit is responsible for the investigation of Crimes such as:

• Fraudulent Stealing;
• False Pretences;
• Deception;
• Forgery;
• Uttering;
• Computer-Related Crime.

In previous years the Unit has primarily dealt with credit card and cheque frauds together with 'white collar crimes' such as:

• Fraud as a Clerk/Servant;
• Stealing by Misappropriation.

In more recent times the Unit has continued to investigate these types of Crime, however there has been a significant increase in computer/internet Crime and Fraud.

Some of the Computer-Related Crimes investigated included:

• Unlawfully Accessing a Computer or Computer System (Hacking);
• Deception involving payment for Internet time with stolen or fraudulently obtained credit card numbers.

Most of the offenders for these Crimes were aged between fifteen (15) and eighteen (18) years.

It is expected that Computer-Related Crime will continue to increase in the future. Tasmania Police is constantly improving its resources and training to keep pace with this increase.

Fraudulent Crimes (Criminal Code Act 1924)

Computer-Related Fraud

257B - A person who, with intent to defraud -

(a) destroys, damages, erases, alters or otherwise manipulates data stored in, or used in connection with, a computer; or
(b) introduces into, or records or stores in, a computer or system of computers by any means data for the purpose of -
(i) destroying, damaging, erasing or altering other data stored in that computer or that system of computers.
(ii) interfering with, interrupting or obstructing the lawful use of that computer or that system of computers or the data stored in that computer or system of computers; or
(c) otherwise uses a computer - is guilty of a crime.

Damaging Computer Data

257C - A person who intentionally and without lawful excuse-
(a) destroys, damages, erases or alters data stored in a computer; or
(b) interferes with, interrupts or obstructs the lawful use of a computer, a system of computers or any part of a system of computers or the data stored in that computer or system of computers - is guilty of a crime.

Unauthorised Access to a Computer

257D - a person who, without lawful excuse, intentionally gains access to a computer, system of computers or any part of a system of computers, is guilty of a crime.

Insertion of false information as data

257E - A person who dishonestly introduces into, records or stores in, a computer or a system of computers, by any means, false or misleading information as data is guilty of a crime.

Obtaining Goods by False Pretence

250 - Any person who by any false pretence, and with intent to defraud, obtains from any person anything capable of being stolen, or induces any person to deliver to any person anything capable of being stolen, is guilty of a crime.

Cheating

252 - Any person who, with intent to defraud, by means of any trick or device, obtains from any person, or induces any person to deliver to any person, anything capable of being stolen, is guilty of a crime.

Dishonestly Acquiring a Financial Advantage

252A - (1) Any person who by any deception dishonestly acquires for himself or for any other person any financial advantage is guilty of a crime.
(2) For the purposes of subsection (1) "deception" means any deception (whether deliberate or reckless) by words or conduct as to fact or as to law, including a deception as to the present intentions of the person using the deception or of any other person.

Forgery

278 - Any person who forges any document, seal, or die with intent to defraud, is guilty of a crime.

Uttering

279 - Any person who utters any forged document, seal, or die, is guilty of a crime.

During the course of some investigations the Unit occasionally liaises with other agencies, such as:

• Australian Securities and Investments Commission;
• Federal Police;
• Fraud Investigation Units in other Australian States.

The Unit also liaises closely with Financial Institutions and Insurance Companies and their respective Fraud Investigation Groups.