A man who made up workplace injuries and forged payslips from his sister-in-law must do 300 hours of unpaid community work and repay nearly $135,000.

Khaled Haouchar, 43, pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrate’s Court to two charges of obtaining financial advantage by deception and one charge of fraudulently obtaining payments under the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act.

Haouchar was convicted and placed on an 18-month Community Corrections Order, in addition to repaying $134,925.

The court heard that Haouchar made two separate claims for injuries for a cleaning job and demolishing a carport. His alleged employers had not employed him or knew about the claims.

Haouchar lodged the first claim in 2015, saying he injured his back, knees and arm when he fell from a ladder while working for his sister-in-law's cleaning business.

The court was told Haouchar submitted an injury claim form, allegedly signed by his sister-in-law, and forged payslips from her company. 

The claim was accepted and he received $109,177 in weekly payments between February 2015 and August 2017.

In August 2016, WorkSafe investigators contacted the business owner, his sister-in-law, after noting a discrepancy between payslips and a payment summary provided by Haouchar.

His sister-in-law said she had never seen him injured and had never employed him, signed a claim form, or issued payslips or a PAYG summary for him.

Immigration records reveal Haouchar was overseas between May 2012 and September 2014 indicating payslips for June and September 2014, provided to prove his pre-injury employment, were fake.

Haouchar received a further $25,748 in compensation through a second claim with a different insurance agency. He claimed to have suffered injuries to his hips, neck, shoulder and legs when a timber beam fell on him as he demolished a residential carport in Brunswick in May 2017.

The carport owner didn't hire Haouchar, did not know him, and the carport had been demolished seven months before the alleged injury.

WorkSafe Executive Director Insurance Roger Arnold says compensation fraud is a serious crime that took money and resources away from injured worker.

"Our message to anyone who thinks they can game the system is simple: the odds are against you, and when we catch you, we won’t hesitate to prosecute you."