Almost a fifth of government subsidies claimed for electric vehicles during the final month of the Clean Car Discount were paid to car yards and not individual buyers.
To claim a subsidy, car dealers had to sign a declaration saying they would use the vehicle themselves for at least three months.
But one shopper says he spoke with a dealer who claimed the subsidy in December and offered the vehicle to him at a discount just over a month later, which would be against the rules.
Climate Correspondent Eloise Gibson reports.