A 27-year-old man from the Central Coast has been arrested after allegedly impersonating a returned soldier at a range of veteran events and functions marking national days of commemoration.
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It is alleged the man also pretended to be a veteran at meetings of the Australian Defence Force's Veteran Peer to Peer Support Pilot Program, which helps ex-servicemen and women with mental health conditions.
About 6.45pm on Thursday, the man was arrested and charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception when he attended the Peer to Peer events, and possession of an unauthorised decommissioned pistol.
A police raid on the suspect's home in Umina Beach allegedly found replica military medals, badges and the pistol.
A witness, who allegedly saw the man at an event in February to mark the anniversary of the sinking of HMAS Voyager in 1964, said he stood out because he appeared to be wearing "more medals" than most young returned soldiers.
Police said they received reports in March that a man was allegedly claiming he was a veteran while attending functions on national days of commemoration.
He also attended a number of Peer to Peer events and functions for free because he claimed to be former veteran, police said.
Members of the group questioned the man's service history, and raised their concerns with the police.
He was granted conditional bail and is due to appear at Gosford Local Court on May 17.
One veteran said it was common to see people impersonating a veteran at Anzac Day services.
"On Anzac Day, you see people who have bought medals at a disposal shop wandering around.
"But these days, more people take note and report them. It's getting harder [to get away with it] these days because people are more aware of them," said Bruce Smith, the secretary of the Naval Association of Australia Central Coast sub-section which holds an annual memorial for the 82 people who died when the Voyager sank.
Keith Grimley, the former president of the Terrigal RSL and the president of the Naval Association of Australia on the Central Coast, said it was not uncommon for members of the public to impersonate veterans.
"I know people who are wearing medals that they shouldn't be. [They do it] for their own self-aggrandisement, and make themselves more important," he said.
Mr White said people were more aware that these impersonators existed these days, and more likely to report them than in the past.
