Covid-19 relief fraud: Woman forged bank statements, used defunct company to claim $21,600

A Covid fraudster avoided jail after a two-year scam involving her mother's non-trading firm. Photo / 123rf

A Wellington woman has been sentenced to community detention for Covid-19 relief fraud after forging bank statements to support applications for a defunct company.

Sonam Godara pleaded guilty to using the Small Business Cashflow Scheme (SBCS) to get a loan and Resurgence Support Payments (RSP) to claim money she wasn’t entitled to.

She fraudulently applied for $30,603.60 and received $21,600 which the Wellington District Court heard the company was never entitled to.

Both SBCS and RSP applications were made fraudulently, as the company was not operating at the time nor was it in operation for six months prior.

The company, Yazmed Ltd, was started by Godara’s mother in January 2021.

But in July that year, Godara’s mother advised that the company hadn’t traded and was to be wound up.

In August 2021, when further Covid lockdowns were announced, Godara told the Companies Office she was sole director of Yazmed Ltd and changed the company’s bank details to her personal account.

She made one SBCS loan application and seven RSP applications, with the first RSP placed under review.

As part of the review, in October 2021, she provided two forged Westpac Bank statements in her name purporting to sales that never occurred.

In September 2023, after Godara was notified that an audit had commenced on the company and was asked for more information, she provided three ANZ Bank statements in the name of the company.

The court heard Godara had since repaid all the money she received from both benefits, totalling $27,737.43, including interest.

The court was told this offending spanned two years and involved a gross breach of trust at a time of national crisis.

At sentencing, Godara sought a discharge without conviction, which was declined by the court.

On March 13, she was convicted and sentenced to 16 weeks’ community detention, including a nighttime curfew.