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A woman has been sentenced to 18 months behind bars for committing fraud against the government at the state and federal levels.
Government fraudster slapped with prison sentence
03 June 2025
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8 minute read
A woman has landed herself with an imprisonment sentence for offending the federal and state governments by committing tax fraud, identity and counterfeiting fraud and social security fraud.
The 18-month sentence was handed down last week in the Melbourne County Court to Paolo Esmaquel, who is already serving jail time for similar offences she committed previously in November 2024.
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In a statement released by the ATO, between October and November 2021, it was alleged that Esmaquel had dishonestly obtained $51,464 and attempted to claim a further $12,093 by lodging 10 fraudulent business activity statements using three different identities.
In addition to this, Esmaquel allegedly supplied information to the TPB to register as a tax agent and gained access to ATO systems, before linking unsuspecting taxpayers to her profile without their consent.
Kath Anderson, acting deputy commissioner for the Serious Financial Crime Taskforce, said the outcome was part of Operation Falchion, which highlighted the reality of identity fraud and the ATO’s commitment to stopping it.
“This case shows how far criminals will go to commit identity fraud and exploit the tax and super system, and broader commonwealth and state programs,” she said.
“With a rise in scammers and cyber criminals out in the community, it’s more important than ever to protect your personal identifying information.”
The ATO said with the help of the Australian Federal Police, a search warrant was executed which revealed Esmaquel possessed multiple documents, including bank cards, drivers’ licences and birth certificates all under different names.
Esmaquel was also found to have a mobile phone containing email accounts and other identity documents not in her name.
Anderson warned that scammers and cyber criminals could use personal information to access details and commit fraud in another person’s name, demonstrating the crucial importance of sound security.
“We have strengthened our systems against fraud and financial crime through prevention, early detection, containment and consequences, such as the jail time Ms Esmaquel received,” she said.
“Operation Falchion, an investigation undertaken by the ATO-led SFCT, demonstrates the taskforce’s ability to respond to criminal behaviour, holding offenders accountable and protecting the integrity of the system, including when that offending is across various levels of Government.”
The ATO revealed it also worked with the TPB to cancel the tax agent registration obtained by Esmaquel in another individual’s name.
Anderson said the ATO encouraged individuals to use myID when interacting with the ATO’s online services and to set up the “highest identity strength” where possible to deter fraudsters.
“The ATO’s systems are secure and resilient. The safety of taxpayers’ information is of the utmost importance to us, and we remain vigilant for new and emerging fraud.”
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