An Australian man has been charged with allegedly falsely claiming he was injured in the Bondi Beach massacre in an attempt to obtain compensation.
The 46-year-old, whose name has not been released, was arrested in Sydney on Tuesday and charged with publishing false or misleading material to obtain a financial advantage, as well as making a false representation that led to a police investigation.
Police allege he claimed to have been wounded when father and son gunmen Sajid and Naveed Akram opened fire on a Chabad Chanukah celebration at Bondi Beach on December 14, 2025, killing 15 people and injuring around 40 others.
The two men had allegedly pledged allegiance to Islamic State before carrying out the attack. Sajid was shot dead at the scene, while Naveed was arrested and charged with multiple terror offences. He is due to appear in court next February.
Police have not specified which victims' compensation scheme the man allegedly sought to exploit.
Following the attack last December, the New South Wales government made financial assistance available to victims and bereaved families. The scheme included payments of up to AU$5,000 (around £2,647) for people injured in the shooting, with relatives of those killed eligible for up to AU$30,000 (around £15,900).
The compensation was intended to help those whose lives had been devastated by the attack meet immediate needs and manage the financial consequences of injury and bereavement.
The alleged compensation fraud is being investigated separately from the terrorism case. Police said in a statement the fraud suspect allegedly pretending to be a victim “will have no impact on the matters currently before the court”.
He has been granted conditional bail and is scheduled to return to Parramatta Local Court on November 18.
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