WHAT WAS CLAIMED
Senator Fatima Payman warned a proposed crackdown on NDIS fraud could disproportionately harm Muslim Australians.
OUR VERDICT
False. The claim is based on a satirical headline.
AAP FACTCHECK - Senator Fatima Payman did not say that cracking down on disability fraud would unfairly target Muslim Australians, despite claims online.
The claim comes from a parody social media account.
In late 2025, the government renewed efforts to stem fraud in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), which provides financial assistance to people with disabilities.
The claim was made in an X post featuring a photo of the WA senator with a news headline.
"Fatima Payman Warns Proposed Crackdown on NDIS Fraud Could Disproportionately Harm Muslim Australians," it reads.
The X account's profile resembles the logo of The Guardian newspaper.
Several Facebook and Instagram posts have shared screenshots of the X post or repeated the headline.
"Is Fatima Payman suggesting that Muslim Australians are the ones rorting the NDIS?" one Facebook post reads.
However, the headline is fake and Senator Payman, who is Muslim, did not make the comments.
While the X account, Thought Guardian, uses a similar name and logo to The Guardian, its bio reads: "Not The Guardian. Satire... sort of".
The WA senator confirmed the headline was fake in an X post replying to former politician and strategist Nyunggai Warren Mundine after he shared the parody post.
"That is a parody account Warren, not a real news article. Hope this helps!" Senator Payman wrote.
AAP FactCheck is an accredited member of the International Fact-Checking Network. To keep up with our latest fact checks, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, BlueSky, TikTok and YouTube.
