Five individuals belonging to an organized group of Bulgarians have been found guilty of committing the most substantial case of benefit fraud in England and Wales. The group, comprising three women and two men, had made thousands of fake claims for Universal Credit over four and a half years, and the fraudulent claims amounted to a total of £53.9m. The five individuals pleaded guilty to stealing the funds, fraud and money laundering offences at London’s Wood Green Crown Court.
The officials discovered the gang’s three “benefit factories” in the Wood Green area of north London that facilitated repeated false claims for benefits. The group had purported to assist people in securing a National Insurance number and the benefits they were eligible for. However, the organised crime group took over the process once the applicants claimed benefits under the three sources. After the claims were filed, money was laundered around numerous bank accounts or withdrawn in cash.
According to prosecutors, these claims were backed up by a host of bogus papers, including counterfeit wage slips, fictitious tenancy agreements, and forged letters from landlords, employers, and general practitioners. If the applications were refused, the fraudsters kept trying until they were approved. In May 2021, when the gang was finally apprehended, scores of forged or false documents were uncovered along with bundles of cash, luxury goods, and an Audi vehicle.
The five convicted individuals are Tsvetka Todorova, 52; Stoyan Stoyanov, 27; Patritsia Paneva, 26; Galina Nikolova, 38; and Gyunesh Ali, 33. Each of them individually admitted to stealing more than £50m. A DWP representative praised the teamwork between the CPS and the DWP, saying that these convictions demonstrated their resolve to prevent taxpayers’ money from being looted
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