Organised criminals with their eyes on defrauding the big pot of money that is the National Disability Insurance Scheme have been warned the police are coming after them.
A 100-member task force is being established by the Australian Federal Police, Department of Human Services and the National Disability Insurance Agency to protect the NDIS.
"You come after the NDIS, we will come after you," Social Services Minister Dan Tehan said in Canberra on Tuesday.
Law Enforcement Minister Angus Taylor says historically large pots of money like the NDIS have attracted organised crime.
This year the scheme is worth $8 billion but by 2022 that number will reach $22 billion and up to $27 billion in the next decade.
"The truth is whenever someone tries to rip off an important government program like this, they are ripping off the genuine claimants and they are ripping off every Australian taxpayer," Mr Taylor said.
He said those targeting the system will have nowhere to hide, with authorities using technology and data to track down wrongdoers.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said the task force was too little too late, and came 18 months after Labor suggested the idea.
"I think it's despicable if people are ripping off dollars which should be going to people with profound and severe disabilities," he said.
"It's good the government is acting but it's taken a year and a half."
AFP Deputy Commissioner Neil Gaughan said officials have been working since the beginning of the scheme to plug gaps that could have resulted in fraud but this task force would step up inquiries.
They will be targeting identity theft and fraudulent claims, but are not ruling out new and more sophisticated ways organised criminals might try to defeat the system.
"There is intelligence to suggest there already has been some fraud that has taken place but it is quite minimal," Mr Gaughan said.
He confirmed a number of investigations are ongoing.
