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An Auckland man who attempted to claim $2.3 million through various Covid-19 Government support schemes has been jailed for more than four years.

Hun Min Im pleaded guilty in May to 54 charges for his role in orchestrating a large-scale fraud targeting numerous Covid-19 support schemes.

Im was ultimately able to obtain nearly $624,000 in taxpayer funds after submitting 42 applications on behalf of eight companies and four sole traders, none of which were genuine trading entities or employed any staff.

He used the money he received to fund his personal lifestyle, including an apartment and luxury vehicle.

Im used forged signatures and documents to incorporate companies and filed false GST returns, which targeted the Wage Subsidy Scheme, Small Business Cashflow Scheme, Covid-19 Support Payments and Resurgence Support Payments.

In the Auckland District Court, Im was sentenced to four years and four and a half months’ imprisonment.

Serious Fraud Office (SFO) director Karen Chang said Im’s offending was a “deliberate abuse of public money” intended to support people and businesses during the pandemic.

“Im created a complex web of fake companies and forged documents to exploit support schemes designed to help struggling businesses and families.

“He stole the personal information of tenants and jobseekers to make his fraud appear legitimate. The money he obtained was used to fund his lifestyle, including purchasing a luxury vehicle and apartment.”

The case was referred to the SFO by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) following its own inquiries.

The investigation later uncovered suspected fraud across multiple government agencies.

George Van Ooyen, MSD group general manager, said Im took advantage of a high-trust system.

“The scale of his actions shows a disregard for the wider community and people who were feeling genuine hardship at that time.

“We will continue working closely with other government agencies to investigate these cases and expect further prosecutions to come.”