BALLARAT veterans have voiced their anger and disgust at fake POW veteran Arthur Rex Crane.Ms Crane has come under scrutiny after Fairfax Media revealed at the weekend that he had lied about being captured by the Japanese in 1942 and imprisoned in Singapore's Outram Road jail.The case has been referred to the Australian Federal Police for investigation.The 83-year-old has been on the highest level of service pension since 1988 and is the federal president of the Prisoners of War Association of Australia.However it appears Mr Crane was an Adelaide schoolboy at the time he alleged he had been taken prisoner at just 15 years of age.Earlier in the year Mr Crane was invited to Ballarat to speak at the fifth anniversary of the Ballarat ex-POW Memorial.Memorial trustee Les Kennedy said he was disgusted when he found out Mr Crane was a fraud."He came to the fifth anniversary as the federal president of the POW association," Mr Kennedy said."I was absolutely disgusted and find it hard to believe someone would have the gall to mix between the POW sufferers who have suffered so much and pretend to be one of them."The sad part about it now is his wife and family have got to live with that for the rest of their lives."It is estimated Mr Crane has received more than $380,000 in pension and entitlements."It is me living a lie, isn't it?" he told the aifSydney Morning Heraldaif."I suppose it was just a sort of fantasy."Mr Kennedy said it was fortunate Mr Crane's name was not listed on the Ballarat ex-POW Memorial."Fortunately his name is not on the wall," Mr Kennedy said."And he never wore any medals because he wasn't entitled to."Ballarat RSL senior vice-president Ray Mende was also disappointed."It just amazed me that such a despicable thing could happen," he said."That this person could invent this story and it's been accepted, how he got past the Department of Veterans Affairs and was able to get a pension is beyond me."Mr Mende is also a welfare worker, and assists veterans applying for pensions.He said he had encountered a number of fakes in Ballarat in the past."There's been a reasonably large number of people who have become imposters and said they served in Vietnam," he said."It happens really far too often."I don't know why people would want to put themselves in that situation with today's media and the amount of information out there."Veterans Affairs Minister Allan Griffin said it was a very serious matter."I know these allegations will be distressing for the veteran community and I fully understand why," he said."Those who have sacrificed so much for our country are rightly outraged when fraud of this nature occurs."Personally, I think for anyone to impersonate a prisoner of war is disgusting. It is a betrayal of all the values our veterans stand for."