Auckland mum scammed Covid scheme, more than $35k of taxpayer money gone

Money from the 'calculated' offending was paid into Samantha Paul’s accounts and those of an associate. Photo / Nick Reed, File

Inland Revenue says an Auckland woman who once worked at a tax agency fraudulently tried to get nearly $60,000 in Covid-19 relief money.

The IRD said Samantha Paul was sentenced to 11 months for scamming the Small Business Cashflow Scheme.

She asked for $59,000, managed to get $47,000, and most of that money has not been recovered.

Paul tried getting the money for three unrelated taxpayers, one for her own company, and one in her own name.

The IRD said Paul did this when she knew she was not entitled to any of the money and she illegally accessed accounts on the myIR online tax service without authority.

“The three unrelated taxpayers were all clients of a tax agency where Paul previously worked in 2018 and 2019. She noted and kept their myIR login details while she worked there.”

The tax department said Paul applied for $59,000 in Covid-19 relief money and was paid out more than $47,000 before her deceit was discovered.

Less than $12,000 has been recovered.

The money was paid into Paul’s accounts and those of an associate, Jason Laurence Gray.

Gray was jailed for 20 months after making applications for loans seeking $27,000 under the same small business loan scheme despite knowing a business he was part of didn’t meet loan criteria.

Inland Revenue said the Small Business Cashflow Scheme was based on a high-trust model and Paul had abused that trust.

“This was a calculated offending and inherently pre-meditated.”

The scheme was intended to help small business owners struggling during the pandemic to get funds quickly.

“This was straightforward theft from the community,” the IRD said.

“The three unrelated taxpayers for which the loan applications were made confirmed they had not applied for or received any money.”

Paul’s offending happened between May 2020, the same month scheme applications opened.

The offending continued until January 2022.

Paul was sentenced on Friday at Auckland District Court, where she faced six charges of using a document for pecuniary advantage.

Inland Revenue said Paul received an end sentence of 23 months imprisonment which the judge commuted to a sentence of 11 months home detention, noting that Paul had a young child in her care.