SOCIAL SECURITY FRAUDS

Press, Volume C, Issue 29674, 18 November 1961, Page 13

SOCIAL SECURITY FRAUDS

Woman Convicted On 18 Charges

(From Our Own Reporter) WESTPORT. Nov. 15.

A woman resident of the Buller district, whose name was suppressed, was convicted on 18 charges of false pretences, in that she did defraud the Social Security Department of £ 160 10s, when she appeared before Mr G. A. Nicholls, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court at Westport today. She was placed on two years’ probation on the first ! charge, and discharged on the j others. She was ordered to i make restitution of £26 at a I rate of 10s a week. Another ; condition of her probation is that the probation officer supervise her finances. The evidence showed that accused had received amounts from the department up to £lO 5s weekly, while also being paid money by a man with whom she was living. The accused is la widow with five children, and it was mainly because of the latter, the Magistrate said, that be was being lenient. while his decision to suppress the name was prompted by accused's statement that she and the man concerned were to be married.