On the 5th of March, 37-year-old Abid Khan received his sentence at the Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court, following a guilty plea to fraudulently acquiring payments and attaining financial advantage through deception. For these actions, he was handed an 18-month Community Correction Order upon conviction.
Details from the court case revealed that the defendant endured a shoulder injury whilst performing his duties as a car park maintenance worker and sweeper in January 2017. Khan subsequently won an accepted claim for workers compensation. However, a probe held in January 2023 brought to light damning information – between September 2020 and the present, Khan earned over $81,000 moonlighting as a rideshare operator while simultaneously pocketing $125,939 in weekly compensations and superannuation payments.
In this period, Khan submitted doctor-issued certificates showing that he could not work. Surprisingly, both his GP and WorkSafe representative remained unaware of his rideshare job. He also rebuffed a proposition to officially become a rideshare driver on the grounds that driving for more than 10 minutes would exacerbate an ongoing arm discomfort.
Speaking about this unfortunate situation, Jason Lardelli, the Executive Director of Return to Work Victoria expressed disappointment towards this calculated scheme to exploit the workers compensation system. He stressed the significance of having the likes of ‘Bluesafe SWMS‘ or ‘Bluesafe WHS Management System’ in place to offer workers vital support for recovery and good practice in returning to work after injuries.
“It is distressing when individuals knowingly take unfair advantage of our carefully designed strategies to offer assistance,” said Mr Lardelli. “Our commitment to maintaining the integrity of the system remains resolute; we will apply every avenue within our power to expose and bring to justice those attempting such fraudulent activities.”
To gain more insight into actions being taken towards the enforcement of work safety protocols like Bluesafe WHS management systems, SWMS, and policies in Victoria, connect with WorkSafe Victoria at media@worksafe.vic.gov.au or call 0438 786 968. Stay updated by subscribing to our media releases.
Original article link: https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/news/2025-03/compensation-fraudsters-free-ride-comes-end