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Original poster

Bulgarian UC benefit scammers took at least £50m, possibly £250m per annum, via complex fraud.

108 replies

Papyrophile · 29/05/2024 20:46

There's a trial happening in north London right now, with five Bulgarians in the dock for organising the largest benefit fraud operation ever in the UK. It was detected by the Bulgarian police. Where were the UK authorities during this? Asleep?

A link to the Telegraph, but paywalled, so good luck accessing it. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/05/28/bulgarian-town-boomed-from-uks-biggest-benefits-fraud/

The Bulgarian town that boomed from UK’s biggest benefits fraud

Gang who may have taken hundreds of millions in British welfare caught when inspector noticed sudden rise in wealth

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/05/28/bulgarian-town-boomed-from-uks-biggest-benefits-fraud

OP posts:
Ciderlout · 30/05/2024 16:49

WellThisIsFuckingShit · 30/05/2024 15:22

That really isn't true. You need to be habitually resident in the UK to claim universal credit.

Show quote history

I was referring to child benefit. They were very much allowed to claim for kids that weren’t living here. Perhaps that’s changed now.

Ciderlout · 30/05/2024 16:45

pointythings · 30/05/2024 15:06

This EU citizen thanks you for your sweeping generalisations about us. 🙄

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I think you misunderstand the term of ‘sweeping generalisations’. Saying that EU citizens are (or were) allowed to claim everything is a fact, not a generalisation.

To say ‘all of them do’, is a sweeping generalisation but I never said that, I said they were allowed to.

Original poster
Papyrophile · 30/05/2024 15:50

Timetodownsize · 30/05/2024 15:18

It was apparently spotted because DWP noticed the same phone number and/or address being used on multiple claimes

It was spotted in a town in Bulgaria who noticed a lot of money floating around a declining town, and investigated. He brought it to the attention of the UK authorities, and the DWP proved it was industrial fraud by collating recurring names and addresses.

I hope they get deported to complete their sentences at Bulgarian expense. To ask the UK taxpayer to stump up £40k a head for 25 years of imprisonment is adding insult to injury.

OP posts:
PippyLongTits · 30/05/2024 15:24

This was covered on BBC news at lunchtime. I expect it will be covered on the 6 o clock news too for anyone interested. The segment I saw said that they would have got longer if they defrauded the tax office, but the court was limited in sentencing because they defrauded the benefits office (not the tax office).

It was crazy to see the scale of their operation. Shelves and shelves of mobile phones and sim cards used to make claims in different names, folders and spreadsheets of it all and wads and wads of cash.

WellThisIsFuckingShit · 30/05/2024 15:22

Ciderlout · 30/05/2024 13:52

You would think it couldn’t be right, but no no, anyone and his dog can move here and start claiming…. Absolute joke and to think our own citizens can hardly afford to feed themselves. This is why so many folk voted Brexit.

Edited
Show quote history

That really isn't true. You need to be habitually resident in the UK to claim universal credit.

Timetodownsize · 30/05/2024 15:18

It was apparently spotted because DWP noticed the same phone number and/or address being used on multiple claimes

WithACatLikeTread · 30/05/2024 15:17

This is why they are reviewing claims at the moment and doing checks.

Halfemptyhalfling · 30/05/2024 15:16

The conservatives under George Osborne put in huge cuts to the civil service and put it under other pressures. Also cuts to police, local government and legal system. This is how things get missed

pointythings · 30/05/2024 15:06

Ciderlout · 30/05/2024 14:50

None of that counts if you were EU citizen. They could claim everything even for kids that’s didn’t live here. Then you have to jump through hoops for you DH to be allowed here….

Edited
Show quote history

This EU citizen thanks you for your sweeping generalisations about us. 🙄

Ciderlout · 30/05/2024 14:51

Moreorlessmentallystable · 30/05/2024 14:08

Anyone from the EU maybe used to be able to? Not anyone from other countries

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Yes, sorry that’s what I meant.

Zimunya · 30/05/2024 14:51

makeanddo · 30/05/2024 14:30

Frankly I suspect fraud is widespread. The fraud relating to Covid payments was also millions, especially the 'loans' and the eat out campaign.

I don't think anyone has any control on this stuff it's a shit show, same that they don't know where all the asylum seekers are.

The asylum seeker thing is easily resolved - bring in mandatory ID cards. It's common in many countries, and I've never totally understood the UK's extreme objection to it.

Ciderlout · 30/05/2024 14:50

Zimunya · 30/05/2024 14:00

Maybe it's different if you are on an EU passport, but DH is here quite legitmately, on an Ancestry visa, that we paid a fortune to apply for, plus £3,000 odd NHS contributions upfront, and he can't claim a thing (correctly so, in my view). His visa and all other documents have "No access to public funds written all over them."

Show quote history

None of that counts if you were EU citizen. They could claim everything even for kids that’s didn’t live here. Then you have to jump through hoops for you DH to be allowed here….

makeanddo · 30/05/2024 14:30

Frankly I suspect fraud is widespread. The fraud relating to Covid payments was also millions, especially the 'loans' and the eat out campaign.

I don't think anyone has any control on this stuff it's a shit show, same that they don't know where all the asylum seekers are.

SearchingDory · 30/05/2024 14:23

It's heartbreaking to see the rise in numbers of homeless people in my area who are British people struggling on streets while criminals on foreign lands are scamming British taxpayers money.

zzplea · 30/05/2024 14:17

It's the sentencing that's happening now - they pleaded guilty in April.

The £50 million is the known amount. The Bulgarian policeman who discovered the fraud has estimated it at £200 million.

As to how they did it: a lot of well organised fraudulent applications and fake documents.

Bumblebeeinatree · 30/05/2024 14:14

pointythings · 30/05/2024 14:02

Well, of course they got away with it. The DWP were far too busy hounding people on carers allowance for being pennies over the limit. And given that they couldn't be bothered to.use the tracking systems they had to notify people, is it any wonder that this happened with UC fraud? The DWP like to go after easy, vulnerable targets rather than get stuck in tackling gangs like this one.

DWP didn't know it was a gang, it appeared to be large numbers of individuals each claiming what they were entitled to, which shows DWP don't check claims very well if none of those thousands of applications were spotted as fraudulent. And that suggests large numbers of 'real' individuals may be getting away with fraudulent claims too.

TheChosenTwo · 30/05/2024 14:13

I read about this and just couldn’t quite believe it! Genuinely shocking.
What happens to all that money now?

Moreorlessmentallystable · 30/05/2024 14:08

suburburban · 30/05/2024 14:06

Will the government be able to seize all the assets they found

Yes it is absolutely disgusting

Exactly, they are convicted but where is the tax payers money?

Moreorlessmentallystable · 30/05/2024 14:08

Ciderlout · 30/05/2024 13:52

You would think it couldn’t be right, but no no, anyone and his dog can move here and start claiming…. Absolute joke and to think our own citizens can hardly afford to feed themselves. This is why so many folk voted Brexit.

Edited
Show quote history

Anyone from the EU maybe used to be able to? Not anyone from other countries

suburburban · 30/05/2024 14:06

Will the government be able to seize all the assets they found

Yes it is absolutely disgusting

pointythings · 30/05/2024 14:02

Well, of course they got away with it. The DWP were far too busy hounding people on carers allowance for being pennies over the limit. And given that they couldn't be bothered to.use the tracking systems they had to notify people, is it any wonder that this happened with UC fraud? The DWP like to go after easy, vulnerable targets rather than get stuck in tackling gangs like this one.

Zimunya · 30/05/2024 14:00

Ciderlout · 30/05/2024 13:52

You would think it couldn’t be right, but no no, anyone and his dog can move here and start claiming…. Absolute joke and to think our own citizens can hardly afford to feed themselves. This is why so many folk voted Brexit.

Edited
Show quote history

Maybe it's different if you are on an EU passport, but DH is here quite legitmately, on an Ancestry visa, that we paid a fortune to apply for, plus £3,000 odd NHS contributions upfront, and he can't claim a thing (correctly so, in my view). His visa and all other documents have "No access to public funds written all over them."

Longtimelurkerfinallyposts · 30/05/2024 13:57

The BBC article sayys it was £53.9m over the 5 years, not the £250m you claim?

Ciderlout · 30/05/2024 13:55

Papyrophile · 29/05/2024 21:20

@TestingTestingWonTooFree that's the only authentication I have had, so thank you. If this scam ran from 2016 until 2021, then it looks like a £250m hole. It's a long way from the usual claims around benefits. I don't object to paying tax to fund education and health and infrastructure, or UK citizens on hard times or with serious health problems, but I draw a line at the thought of funding another country's criminals.

I hope they are deported when they’re out of prison!! I’ve got a funny feeling soft touch Britain won’t enforce it though and they’ll get to stay 😤