A single mom has been accused of using her fake daycare business to get $500,000 in taxpayer subsidies.
46-year-old Suzy Zreika is an Australian mother from Sydney who is among 13 people accused of being involved in a fraud scheme surrounding the ABC Kid’s N Care company.
According to the authorities, Zreika acted as one of the institution’s “silent directors” and was allegedly behind the plan to defraud the government of half a million dollars through childcare subsidies and a coronavirus stimulus package.
As the officials claimed, the mother appeared to have run the daycare business from a Smithfield shopping center.
While the investigators discovered a series of documents, including insurance papers and certificates, upon the raid of the premises, there were allegedly no toys or play equipment that would suggest children were ever being looked after at the location.
According to the reports, the prosecutors believe that the daycare office was a “mock” set up and a part of a “sophisticated scam” that made it look as if the place was actually operational.
Besides charging Zreika with two counts of conspiracy to defraud, the authorities have also arrested and charged Al-Sharif, the mother’s co-accused.
Both suspects were granted bail and are set to appear at court on November 16.
In addition to Zreika and Al-Sharif, 11 other people were charged over their participation in the alleged pyramid scheme fraud. They, too, will appear at court in November.
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Replaced!