More than 110 claims to the Hawke’s Bay Disaster Relief Trust Fund established in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle could be fraudulent, according to the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.
They include attempts to make claims based on unrelated cyclone damage images downloaded from the internet, and police may investigate, says Council chair Hinewai Ormsby.
The Council said in a statement on Thursday that of 5486 applications to the fund, 4002 had been approved, but 1484 had been declared ineligible - “including over 100 which are potentially fraudulent”.
All suspected fake applications, which the council says are slowing the processing of applications, will be referred to police for further investigation.
Ormsby says “a number of fraudulent applications” have included online images of damage, false addresses or over-inflated quotes.
“We take the generosity of donators seriously and understand the responsibility to ensure honesty throughout the process,” she said, adding she and mayors are pleased the fund has provided additional assistance to those most affected by the devastation caused by the February 13-14 arrival of Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawke’s Bay.
Payments distributed from the fund had topped $3 million after an additional 199 applicants were paid out from it last week.
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